War of the Races Ch. 33

Chapter 33- Parley

The forest seemed so quiet after the continuous communal hubbub of Earth Mother's Den. It was soothing, but also very unsettling as well. I enjoyed listening to the various sounds of the forest. The wind in the trees. The buzzing of various insecta-alfari. The far-off songs of aves-alfari. If there were any other animals lurking in the shadows of the boughs of the trees, then they were silent and unmoving so that I didn't see them, hear them, or smell them.

Leaving behind Gaia's Lake and Jordmodirbaer, Earthmother's Den, we traveled northeast back around the range of mountains that would lead first to Shahad's old hive, then to the wolf dens before turning south and returning to the Golden Tear. From there we would continue south towards Tunglljosbaer, Moonlight Burrow. The distance wasn't far as the avian fly. However, our party had grown considerably and now we also had infants. All of it made me nervous. I kept looking around, listening and sniffing the air for ambushes or followers.

Coella, as a point of pride, continued to scout ahead even though her armaments were severely diminished. Her spear and swords were shattered in the conflict with the army of the undead, and all that was left to her now were two sinuously curved long knives. Still, she had her speed, and truly, that was of more value to me than her martial skills, good as they were.

After Coella came Tampa and Orsa, then Bartlett and Maha, then Hlina and Glenna quietly conversing with each other, Usagi and Tsukino quietly followed Glenna wherever she led, and Huxian walked hand in hand with me. Bringing up the rear was Shahad, watching out for followers and covering over our back trail.

Up ahead Tampa walked with a long staff while Orsa left her hands free to use her strange chi-based earth magic. Additionally, they both carried two infants in slings draped over their shoulders while Hlina and Glenna each carried one infant on their backs leaving Huxian free to recuperate.

Aside from their small charges, Hlina wore only a small loincloth while her weapon was a longbow given to her by Chief Fyrsil. Interestingly, she proved to be quite adept at shooting the weapon. Glenna still wore her invisible cloak over her 'Habits of the Moonlit Battlemaiden'. Also, Glenna still possessed all of her enchanted rings, her 'Bracers of Shielding' on her primary arms and her 'Bracers of Giant Strength' on her secondary arms. In her secondary hands, she wielded her sword 'Moonfire' and her maul 'Seline's Justice'. That left her primary hands to tend to the babies and swap them out between herself, Hlina, and Orsa so that they might suckle on her enormously milk-engorged breasts as soon as they cried. She even wrapped a second sling around her chest so that she could nurse two at once.

Orsa, Tampa, Coella, Shahad, and Hlina were all very considerate, giving Huxian some time with me. Huxian was not abashed in taking them up on their generosity. As we walked she snuggled in close so that her broad hip pressed against mine while her breasts were squished against my shoulder and arm.

"Husband," Huxian whispered tentatively as if trying the word out for the very first time, and indeed she was, she usually called me her mate. However, Glenna had taken all of the women aside and explained that I was their husband, "Have you noticed that our children are different from normal vulpes-alfari?"

"They are?" I replied, also in a whisper.

"Yes," Huxian said as she nodded, "They are more alfari. All foxes are born with fur. Most animalae-alfari are."

"Coella isn't," I pointed out, "She has no fur on her body. Only her arms, legs, tail, and ears."

"Rabbits and hares excluded," Huxian amended, "And, a few other species. They are very often born with minimal fur."

"Is there a problem with our children not having fur?" I asked.

Huxian nodded, "There is. An animalae-alfari being born hairless is not common. However, every animalae-alfari species can have occasional anomalies. These anomalies are seen as birth defects among animal society as a whole, and the children born with these birth defects are kept from breeding."

"Have there ever been children born that look more animal than alfari," I asked?

"Yes," Huxian answered as a chill ran down her spine, "They are branded monsters or abominations, and are killed soon after birth. In both cases, the parents of such anomalies are watched to see if they have any more anomalous births. If they do, then they are sterilized."

"So, you're worried for our children?" I asked.

Huxian nodded.

"The customs will change," I promised as I squeezed her hand in reassurance, "Our children are not like the anomalies. They are from the union of an alfar and a vulpes-alfari. This changes matters."

"Yes," Huxian agreed, "It makes it even more dangerous for all of us."

"True," I admitted and fell quiet as I thought over the problem. Huxian wasn't the only one that had expressed concern over the fact that I was able to breed with animalae-alfari.

Distracted as I was by my thoughts, I didn't register that the Forest had fallen completely still. Not until a small tungl-fa'rhyn flew down out of a nearby tree and alighted on my shoulder while a second fa'rhyn flittered about in front of Glenna.

"Everyone stop!" Glenna hissed loud enough to be heard but not so loud as to be heard very far away.

Huxian gasped when she saw the little fa'rhyn on my shoulder.

"A fa'rhyn!" Huxian whispered.

"A tungl fa'rhyn," Glenna corrected as she and Hlina turned back to Huxian and me, "Moon spirits!"

"There's a difference?" Huxian asked.

"There is," Glenna replied.

The two diminutive heterocera-alfari stood no taller than two inches tall. They both had bright rusty-orange wings with a bit of red on the forewings and large black dots on the hindwings. The one now resting on Glenna's shoulder was male while the one resting on my shoulder was female. Both of their bodies were the same rusty orange as their wings. However, where the male's body seemed to be covered in a soft fur that covered his insect abdomen, the female's body was completely smooth except for her insect abdomen.

Both of them had two arms and four legs, though I watched in amazement as their four legs combined to appear much more humanoid. Like Shahad, these two fa'rhyn's arms and legs appeared very humanoid from hips to knees and shoulders to elbows, but from that point on their legs and arms were completely insectoid.

I wondered idly if I could transform into one of these tiny creatures but then was struck by a very peculiar problem. In order to transform into one of them I would have to mate with a female, but at my current size that was impossible. It was a problem for another day.

When the two fa'rhyn started to communicate, at first, it sounded like hissing scratching sounds or the whisper of two pieces of paper being rubbed against each other. As they continued I started to hear a faint melody in the scratching hisses and was amazed.

"They say that there are many, many people ahead of us," Glenna whispered.

"How many," Orsa asked, having stopped at Glenna's command and approached in order to hear why.

Glenna asked in a soft hissing whisper. The two fa'rhyn's responded and Glenna translated, "They don't understand the concept of numbers. They just know that the people ahead are very, very many."

Right at that moment, Coella came back from her scouting. When her one pink eye met my eyes I could see her concern.

"There are about a thousand svartalf just ahead of us," Coella announced as she approached.

"A thousand!" Orsa gasped.

"That is too many," Tampa said, her tone more than a little worried, "And, we have cubs."

"Maybe we should retreat to Earthmother's Den," Orsa offered, "Surely we are mightier among the numbers of my tribe."

"Truly, this party seems a bit small to be the danger to the Valelands Seline warned me about," Glenna mused as she rested her chin in her hand, and one finger played with her bottom lip as she thought.

"It could be a flanking party of a much greater force," I offered.

"Yes," Glenna agreed after a minute of thought, "Yes, I could see them doing just that. Either way, Seline quested us to stop them and let them take us captive back to their homeland. So, that is what we shall do. Retreating to Earthmother's Den would only put more people in harm's way. Let us approach this army of svartalf and see if we can parley."

Everyone nodded and we resumed our course. Glenna thanked the two little fa'rhyn and the male flew away. The little female stayed though. When Glenna asked why the tiny creature simply stated, "Mate."

Glenna chuckled and then asked why, to which the fa'rhyn replied, "Smells good."

All the women chuckled then and nodded, leaving me to feel more than a little embarrassed until Huxian leaned in and whispered, "She's right, you do smell good."

Once we resumed our journey, this time with Glenna and I leading the way while the rest trailed several yards behind. At a gesture, and a suggestion from Glenna, the little fa'rhyn flew from my shoulder and landed on Shahad's where the two of them conversed. We were near Golden Tear and Shahad's old hive when we overtook the svartalf army. Or rather, I should say, they overtook us.

The forest was silent. Nothing stirred, and then, suddenly, a thousand svartalf stepped out from behind the trees, weapons in hand. Their numbers disappeared into the horizon of trees and earth. Upon seeing them I noticed that only half were male while the other half were female.

"Priestesses of Arachne," Glenna whispered as she turned back and forth, her hooves stamping the ground and her tail whipping in agitation.

Handing the two slings, each with a babe which had been suckling only moments before to Huxian, Glenna prepared herself as she summoned two great shields of white moonlight from her 'Bracers of Shielding' on her primary forearms, and then she hefted her sword and maul in her secondary hands. Bartlett hefted his great axe and Maha held her staff out in front of her like a quarterstaff. Coella bounced on her toes and flourished her long knives. Hlina's bow was in her hands with an arrow knocked and half drawn before anyone noticed. Usagi and Tsukino hefted their spears, and Orsa, Huxian, and Tampa stood inside the meager circle of protection we made around them and prepared themselves while holding the infants protectively.

"Okay, here we go," I mumbled before stepping forward. Raising my hands and arms, now armored with the 'Claws of the King', I called out loudly, "parley! We seek to parley with the leader of this group!"

"Why would we desire to parley with a surface alf out with his harem of slave girls," Wergthal sneered, "when we can simply kill you, or take you as a slave yourself? You and you slave girls!"

"Beware, Wergthal Phorl," Gruda Opallain whispered at his side, "I sense that both that villralfar male and his female companions are very powerful. The woman that appears to be a succubus is a priestess, possibly even an avatar of her goddess. The other female too. Also, the male himself is blessed by a goddess. I..." Gruda paused and swallowed as she tried to process what she was feeling before continuing, "...find him to be attractive beyond reasoning. I find myself... desiring..."

"Enough," Wergthal hissed as he stared hatefully at me and growled, "You have the honor of being spoils of our raid on the surface world." Then he shouted, "For House Faline! For Matron Forelain Faline!"

With a roar, Wergthal raised his arm, sword in hand, and signaled his men. There was a loud "thrap" as a hundred crossbows fired, and then, almost simultaneously, came a sound like a huge bell tolling as one hundred bolts thunked into Glenna's magic moonlight shield wall before falling to the ground. Suddenly, both groups saw tall white shields fitted tightly together two shields in height encircling our entire party. Then, everything was happening at once. I started transforming into my deadly hybrid-bee-form that was so effective in dispatching so many of the army of the undead. Glenna turned to me with worry on her expression.

"I used up all of the life-force you gave me yesterday healing Maha," She whimpered, "I can not use any spells without sacrificing my life-essence or the child in my belly!"

"You may not be able to do something about this, but I can," Hlina growled as she raised her hand toward Wergthal!

Tree roots suddenly shot out of the ground and snared Wergthal. Hlina turned in a quick circle as more crossbow bolts thudded against the moonlight shieldwall and she raised both hands this time. Roots swiftly wrapped around feet, legs, body, and arms of every svartalf warrior, all the way up to their shoulders before starting to squeeze the life out of them and drag them down. The earth opened up like a many mouthed monster and screams rang out through the forest as they were swallowed all the way to their necks.

The svartalf priestesses started chanting spells, some for offense, some to try and disrupt the magic shields surrounding our group, others spells were to free their warriors. Then there was a thunderous shout, "Halt! Halt! Halt!"

I wasn't even halfway through my own transformation; everything had happened so quickly. I let go of the magic and reverted back to my alfari-form. Quebracho chuckled quietly right behind my shoulder as she moved the vines making up my Barkskin Armor so that it felt like she was wrapping her arms around my chest. I sent her a mental caress and she responded by whispering, "Don't worry, I got you."

There was a short silence as we all watched the procession move through and around the svartalf army ranks before Quebracho purred, "I wonder how long it will be before you are mixed up in another marriage sex orgy?"

"Mmm, hopefully not for a while," I thought back to her, "I have my hands full with what I have so far."

"Even a little fa'rhyn," Quebracho chuckled, "How do you plan to breed her, I wonder?"

"One problem at a time," I mentally hissed at her.

She chuckled sensually then retreated and watched.

"Please!" The foremost svartalf priestess begged as she suddenly threw herself to the ground in front of us, "Please do not kill Wergthal. Please! He... He is... my husband!"

There was a sound of confirmation as many other priestesses nodded their heads, collapsed to prostrate themselves before Glenna and Hlina, and begged for their men's lives.

"Yes," A young proud looking svartalf male said from the head of the procession.

He led an older looking, middle aged by her appearance, very pregnant, svartalf female on his arm. As he brought his harem to a halt he looked over us in an intellegent, measured stare before he finally said, "Please, if you would be so kind, release my men, and then, we may parley as you requested before."

Beside the newcomer svartalf male, on the opposite side from the pregnant woman that I was beginning to assume was his mother, was another even more stunningly beautiful svartalf female. She was easily the same age as me, Hlina, and the svartalf male standing across from me. She had ebony skin, there was an ornamental veil covering her eyes, and her long curly hair was a fiery red that was not natural to the svartalf people that were present before me. Unlike the pregnant woman, this fiery redhead was very buxom, exotically slim in the waist though thick only in comparison to her companion svartalf females, and she abounded in thickly sensual curves in hips, buttocks, and thighs.

Pulling my eyes from the woman I noticed the rest of the entourage. Two more slim svartal females, and all of them priestesses.

"Be cautious," Glenna whispered, "The redhead is dressed in the 'Habits of the Spider Goddess', but she is not one of them. She is something else. Something new."

I nodded that I understood.

Following the svartalf male and his harem was also a group of nine guardswomen dressed in maids uniforms.

"Release them, Hlina," I said as my eyes came back to the male that was so obviously in charge.

Hlina complied and raised her hands up into the air and the earth listened to her, pushing the svartalf male and female warriors out of the soil only to collapse to the ground. Gruda along with four hundred and fifty other priestesses rushed to their fallen men and quickly cast spells of healing upon them.

"What is your name?" I asked the male svartalf.

The swarthy young svartalf smiled disarmingly as he answered, "My name is Sinaan Abendroth of House Abendroth, and this is my wife, Matron Forelain Faline." He continued as he gestured to the very pregnant woman on his arm then went about introducing the other three starting with the redhead, "This is Sulabha Abendroth, and Ra'Shaal Abendroth, and Fjallindae Abendroth."

"Well met," I replied with a nod of my head to Sinaan and his three companions before starting my own introductions, "I am Viridian Vale, heir to the Valelands, and Champion of the goddesses Seline and Gaia."

Gesturing to Glenna I continued, "Let me present my wife and mother, Glen'nathel Moonlilly, Oracle of Seline."

Turning slightly to gesture to Hlina, I continued, "And, this is my wife..."

Hlina's mouth fell open and she stared openly at me as I explained, "A gift from Gaia herself as a reward for saving her Oracle, Hlina Alvasdottir."

Finished introducing my alfari wives, I continued, and though I doubted that the svartalf would care, I wanted to honor my animalae-alfari wives as well, "And finally, acting as my honor guard are my... concubines... Huxian the Vixen, Coella the Hare, Queen Shahad of Golden Tear, Orsa the Bear, and Tampa the Bos'taurine. Additionally, we are accompanied by Tampa's parents Bartlett and Maha Longhorn."

"Well met," Sinaan greeted with a gracious nod to myself and the others. To Glenna and Hlina however, he as well as all of the priestesses bowed and curtsied respectfully recognizing that Glenna and Hlina were direct representatives of their goddesses if not avatars and very powerful indeed.

"So, Viridian Vale of the Valeland, since you are from the territory in which we have been sent to raze and pillage, I assume you wish to parley for the lives of you and your peoples," Sinaan stated matter of factly.

"I do," I replied with a nod, "To our mutual benefit, but also, I am here to negotiate for the lives of the svartalf people as well."

Sinaan's eyes widened in surprise and his expression was more than a little arrogant as he responded, "That seems... a bit... presumptuous."

"The Moon Goddess," Glenna spoke up suddenly for the first time, stepping forward as she addressed the Matron, "Sent messengers with visions and dreams, and under the full moon's light anointed me and changed me into her Oracle. Then she commissioned me, her Oracle, and Viridian, her Champion, to stop the svartalf attack on the Valelands."

Glenna's eyes never wavered from Forelain's as she continued in a soft whisper, "Matron Forelain of House Faline, you more than any other priestess should understand the significance of a goddess begotten quest, and ours is nothing less than to search for the Oracle of Arachne and investigate the church for those that would subvert the will of the gods!"

Forelain found herself taken aback by Glenna's words, but more than that, she found her heart being drawn to the pair, Oracle and Champion alike. However, the Champion clouded her thoughts with nothing but base, animalistic desire. Shaking her head to clear the fog she tried to focus on the woman, Glen'nathel Moonlilly.

The Champion was wedded to not only one avatar of a goddess but two. This was not a chance meeting to be taken lightly. Forelain took a moment and examined the whole party before her once again, Viridian Vale, his two wives blessed with the honor of being avatars of their goddesses, and then she surveyed the Champion's animal companions. Finally, she saw the slings slung over several of the female animal's shoulders and recognized them for what they were. Uncoiling her hand from her young husband's arm, Forelain signed.