50

An elven physician, Eira, hastened his pace through the forest with his eyes fixed on the map in his hand. He was close to finding the rare Iced Stalk plant, and he couldn't afford to waste any more time. But as he walked, he heard a faint screaming of a woman's voice shrill with fear.

He couldn't believe himself, "A voice in this toxic place?" His head snapped up with his ears perked, and he listened intently again. Then, the scream came again, followed by muffled sobs.

Eria's grip on the map tightened, and he felt a surge of concern. "What is going on here, a woman's voice! Could this be a rape or something else?" Eria thought to himself. "I guess I should go and see what's going on myself," he added. 

"No, that's not the best option," he stepped back and hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. He was on a mission to find the Iced Stalk, but he couldn't ignore the distress calls of someone in need. His conscience won in the end, and he decided to investigate.

 Immediately after his decision, he stepped forward, following the sound of the screams with his senses on high alert. 

He moved stealthily with his magical defence clothing, allowing him to blend into the surroundings. Finally, he stopped at the edge of a hole with his eyes peering into the darkness below.

-He was a bit nervous and didn't know what to do next. The hole looked thickly dark and deep, but the scream coming out from it indicated that one could survive falling into it. 

Eira jumped down into the hole immediately, with his feet landing softly on the cool, damp floor. Raising his head as his eyes began to glow slightly, a sign of him adjusting to the darkness he was in, he saw the cave that stretched out before him like a dark, yawning mouth. The air was heavy with the scent of soil and mold, and the sound of dripping water echoed off the walls.

With stealthy movements, he headed deeper into the cave with his senses on high alert. He could feel the weight of unseen eyes upon him, and his hand instinctively went to the dagger at his belt.

As he rounded a corner, his eyes stopped glowing since the part of the cave was being lit by a pearl.

He saw a wolf-like creature and quickly muttered inaudible words. In a matter of seconds, the creature had died standing.

Taking a few steps forward, he saw the back of a figure standing tall. It was Harida, the tigershifter, whose eyes at the moment were glowing red, and her hands were clenched into fists. But then they unclenched, and Eira could see the faint outline of claws extended from her fingertips. "No need to dig out her eyes and render her mute. I'll do it the easy way. It'll save us time, energy and lets her feel no pain," she said.

He also noticed the man beside the brawny woman who had his pink eyes fixed intently on a fleyed, hopeless elf. The man's hair stood out like a sore thumb; it was obvious he was a snake shifter. "Whatever you say, as long as she dies," the man responded with a shrug.

"You know, we can drink her blood as well. I heard something about elves' blood doing special things to our shifter clans."

"Oh really," the woman grinned.

Eira gulped. 

Both of them were enemies of the elves, and their presence here was a dire omen. Eira knew he had to tread carefully or risk unleashing a deadly confrontation.

As he approached, Harida's hands closed around the elf's throat. "Say hello to the king of hell for me," the lady said, already beginning to choke the poor elf.

'No, I have to do something.' Eira thought, and a millisecond later, he reacted swiftly, his voice ringing out across the cave. 

"Stop! Let her go!" 

Harida's eyes snapped towards Eira with her gaze narrowing in surprise. Slydino, too, turned to face the intruder with his eyes flashing with anger. How did this thing get in here? Why did they not notice him? One elf was already a threat; now there was a second one. Might as well send both of them hand in hand to hell.

"Who are you?" Slydino questioned, looking like someone had rattled his cage many times and the padlock had mistakenly unlocked, setting the beast in him free. 

"You hurt my ride?" Harida raged on noticing Alliote's state.

Seeing that the intruder wasn't responding, the snake shifter cracked his knuckles and his neck as well. Then, with ease and speed, he transformed into his snake form with his body elongating and twisting. His scales glinted in the dim light, and his jaws opened widely, revealing razor-sharp fangs. Eira stood firm after a step backwards and was ready to face whatever happened next. 

Slydino immediately charged towards Eira with his mouth spewing poison. Eira dodged to the side, and the snake's body whipped through the air with deadly precision. Eira countered with a swift kick, and his boot connected with the snake's scales, sending Slydino recoiling.

The snake recovered quickly, though, its body coiling and striking again. Eira leapt back, avoiding the bite by mere inches. He landed a quick jab with his dagger, but the snake was too fast, dodging the blade with ease.

The battle raged on with the two combatants exchanging blows and dodges. Eira's agility and cunning pitted against Slydino's brute strength and ferocity. The snake's fangs snapped wildly, seeking to land a deadly bite, but Eira was always one step ahead with his dagger flashing in the dim light.

Harida watched the battle with her eyes fixed intently on the intruder. She seemed to be waiting for an opening, her claws still extended, ready to strike. Delphina, meanwhile, was still at Harida's mercy. 

Harida's eyes blazed with fury as she watched Eira dodge and weave around Nicholas's attacks. With a sudden growl, she dropped Delphina to the floor, and the elf girl's body thudded against the hard earth. Delphina's hands instinctively went to her throat, clutching at the tender skin as she coughed and gasped for air.

Slydino's partner let out a mighty growl, her bones snapping and cracking at a fast rate. In a matter of seconds, she had shifted into an oversized tiger.

With a fluid motion, the tigress joined the battle, her claws swiping at the male elf with deadly precision. Slydino, sensing his lover's presence, intensified his efforts even more, wanting to take down the elf male to show his manliness.

Delphina was still coughing and clutching her throat; she retreated further into the corner with her eyes fixed on the chaotic scene before her. She prayed fervently that the male elf was strong enough to handle the duo, her heart racing with fear.

The three combatants clashed in a whirlwind of fur, scales and steel, their movements lightning-fast as they exchanged blows and dodges. The air was thick with tension, but the outcome hung precariously in the balance, but didn't last long. 

 Surprisingly, the elf unleashed his magic, causing vines to quickly ensnare Harida and Nicholas, forcing them back into their human forms. Despite their efforts, they were unable to break free from the grip of the elf's powerful magic.

Eira turned away from the entwined couple with his eyes locking onto Delphina's frightened form. He approached her calmly with his footsteps echoing off the cave walls. Delphina's eyes widened as he drew near, with her gaze fixed on his face.

"Are you hurt, little one?" Eira asked softly. He made his way to Delphine with his voice gentle and knelt beside her.

Delphina shook her head but was still coughing, her throat tender from Harida's grip. 

Eira's eyes narrowed with his gaze flicking to her neck before returning to her face.

"Can you stand?" he asked, offering a hand to help her up.

"Yes," Delphina nodded, sniffling as she took his hand. Eira's grip was warm and reassuring, and she felt a surge of gratitude towards this stranger who had saved her from the clutches of the sinister couple.

With Eira's support, Delphina stumbled to her feet with her legs trembling beneath her. The elf male kept a steady hold on her hand with his eyes never leaving Delphina's as if willing her to be strong.

Eventually, he gently steadied her with his hand on her elbow. Then he sized her up, his eyes widening in concern as he took in her dishevelled state. Harida's rough handling had left Delphina's clothes torn and tattered, with her modesty compromised.

Without hesitation, he removed his cloak and wrapped it around Delphina's shoulders. The warm wool enveloped her like a gentle hug. Delphina's eyes welled up with tears at the kindness, and her gratitude towards this stranger growing by the minute.

"There, that's better," Eira said softly as a smile spread across his handsome face.

"Thank you, sir," Delphine nodded, still trying hard to restore herself.

"What's your name?"

"Delphina, daughter of Gorden Levitt," she replied.

"Oh, I know him. You're his daughter?" Eira looked sceptical.

Not to blame him, but Delphina didn't look the way a noble lady ought to. She looked malnourished and had a servant aura.

"Well... It's a long story," she muttered.

Eira decided not to pry about her personal life if she didn't want to say anything about it.

"Now tell me, what were you doing in the forest? Were you with someone and got separated?" He asked. 

Delphina shook her head with her voice barely above a whisper. 

"I came... looking for a special fruit." She explained. 

"You came alone!" Eria asked in disbelief.

"Yes, alone... " 

Delphine's words trailed off, and Eira's eyes narrowed with his gaze intensifying as he waited for her to continue, but Delphina just looked up at him with her eyes wide and uncertain, her words hanging in the air like a challenge.

"Why would you risk coming alone into these woods for a fruit?" he asked, his voice gentle but probing. This forest wasn't a backyard garden; it was filled with mystery, and danger lurked at every corner.

"My step-family... They pushed me into a portal, and it dropped me at the entrance of this forest, " Delphina explained with her gaze dropped and her voice barely above a whisper.

Eira could hardly believe this, and his expression turned sympathetic.

He introduced himself, "I am Eira, a physician from the elven kingdom. Though few know me as one of the ten powerhouses in our realm." 

"Really?" Delphina responded with her eyes widened in surprise, but Eira continued, his tone matter-of-fact. 

"Lately, the elf king's son has fallen ill, and the king has requested my expertise. I've been searching for a special fruit to create a remedy that can at least prolong the prince's life, till a cure is found."

"I see..." she mumbled.

 "It seems fate has brought us together, Delphina. Why don't we find the two fruits together, and then I take you home? Don't worry, I'll speak to your father..."

"No," the female elf shook her head desperately.

Then she fell to her knees, surprising him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, helping her to rise once more.

"Sir Eira, please, I don't want to go back there,"

"That's your home, no?"

"It's not, sir. My father doesn't care about me ever since my mother died. And since the new wife birthed his son amongst the twins, he only showed love to them. He's well aware that I'm being treated as a slave, but he deliberately ignores it. In the past, when I complained to him about my stepsiblings' bullying, he dismissed it. I can't go back, I'd rather die in this forest,"

"It's okay, I'll make sure that family never lays a hand on you again," he reassured.

"No, I can't go, not after what that devil did to me this morning,"

"Who?" Eira asked in curiosity.

"My stepbrother. He... raped me several times this morning, taking my innocence," she revealed in a whisper.

His eyes widened, "What the... That family is nuts. I'll see to it that they're all punished." Eira raged. "You wish to follow me?"

"Yes," she nodded, sniffing and wiping off a tear that had rolled down her right cheek.

"Alright, it's settled. You'll be my assistant, what do you think?"

"It's more than I could ever wish for. I was thinking of becoming your servant,"

"No, I have servants, I don't need another. But an assistant, I very much need," said Eira.

"Okay, sir, I'll become your assistant. Thank you very much, sir," she tried to kneel again, but he stopped her.

"I'm only a decade older than you are, or maybe almost two decades. But don't kneel before me ever again, unless you've done something wrong and I punished you, got it?"

"Yes, sir," she nodded.

Unknown to them, the vines that had held Harida and her lover captive now lay limp and still, severed by Harida's sharp claws. The couple charged forward with their eyes blazing with fury and their faces twisted in snarls.

Without transforming into their animal forms, they attacked with brutal efficiency. 

The snake shifter's hands were aimed at Eira's face with his fingers ending in razor-sharp claws.

 "I'll rip your face off, elf!" he spat.

Harida, meanwhile, sneered at Delphina. 

"You fools will make perfect fertiliser for my plants back home. Your bodies will nourish their growth, and I'll enjoy watching them bloom!" She splattered. 

Eira swiftly positioned himself between Delphina and the attackers with his dagger flashing in the dim light. Delphina gasped with her eyes wide with fear as the battle resumed. 

The air was filled with the sound of clashing steel, snarls, claws, and the scent of bloodlust.

Eira scoffed at Harida's and Slydino's threats with his expression unyielding. 

"Delphina, please hold my bag for a moment," he said, his voice calm and collected as he threw his possession at her, which she quickly caught.

He then charged forward with his movements swift and precise. In mere seconds, the couple crumpled to the ground with their paralysed bodies. Only their eyes and mouths remained under their control, which they used to hurl insults at Eira.

 "You'll pay for this, elf! We'll escape and make you suffer!" Harida spat. 

Eira sat on a nearby boulder with a sly smile spreading across his face. He brandished a small poison-tipped needle with its presence unnoticed by the couple until now.

"Ah, but you see, my dear foes," Eira said, his voice dripping with satisfaction, "I've taken certain... precautions. This little needle contains a rare poison, one that will keep you... cooperative, shall we say." Eria added and stopped for a while, and then leaned forward with his eyes glinting with intensity. 

"Now, let's have a little chat, shall we? I have questions, and you will answer them."