The Endless Forest

Felix and Zira stared into each other’s eyes, both waiting for the other to speak. They had come to the conclusion that Aluin was right, they both were acting like idiots. Now, both wanted to correct their mistakes…

I’ll go first, Zira said, breaking the silence.

Felix nodded. Okay, but I don’t know how well I will be able to control it.

Then don’t, I can handle it. She leaned her head forward, gently bumping her snout against his forehead. The contact wasn’t necessary, but for some reason it felt right.

He did not complain and merely closed his eyes, delving deep into his mind.

They were going to share their emotions, but not how they’d always done it. No, they were going to include their experiences alongside them. Hopefully giving context for each other to understand.

They had never done this, but Felix took a calm and steady breath as he felt Zira’s mind enter his. He let his memories play out for her.

He started from the beginning, from the very first moment he awoke in the Endless Forest. He let her see his raw thoughts, the confusion, and the fear. He showed her his first meeting with the kobolds and then Aluin. The first trip to the manor, the compulsion he felt, meeting Eri, and the letter…

Then there was the feeling of loss, the feeling of regret and not truly knowing why. He was scared, left in a world that he did not understand. It was only with Zira’s hatching that he finally had someone.

He was no longer alone.

With that, though, came responsibility. With that, came a need to protect what he gained. He could not afford to lose her. And that memory led directly to when Zira had gotten hurt.

He let it play out from his experimenting, to her getting hurt, him rushing to her aid. He sat there, above her, unable to do anything save for taking in as much pain as he could. All the while, Eri worked on saving Zira’s life.

Perhaps that is when I started developing feelings for her? He asked himself. Felix hadn’t really thought about it, but Eri had done so much for them during that time.

Letting the thought fade, he continued to let his memories play out. Meanwhile, Zira never said a word. He was beginning to wonder if it was working until he got to the first night in Bernel…

He wore a smile at the memory of him and Eri, completely drunk from the dwarven ale and acting a little wild. Zira let out a rumbling laugh at the scene.

That led to the last night in the village… The night Eri kissed him–

I… I understand, Zira said, suddenly pulling back.

Felix blinked his eyes open, feeling surprisingly drained from the entire experience. Are you okay? he asked, a little concerned. It felt like she was fighting with her emotions.

I am… Just give me a moment, please.

Alright, he said with a nod. Let me know when you are ready, and I will enter your mind.

They stood there, waiting for several long moments before Zira finally responded.

Okay, but I will warn you. You will have a hard time separating my emotions from yours.

Oh? Is that what happened to you? he asked curiously.

It is, but I suppose that is the point. Anyway, go ahead. She lowered her head once more, but this time Felix bumped his forehead into the bridge of her snout.

He entered into her consciousness and for a moment didn’t know what to do. However, he felt her mind begin to guide him and followed…

With a gasp, he entered into the world. A strange, new itching sensation could be felt in the back of his mind. Yet, what his eyes were focused on was the strange man holding him.

“Zira… Your name is Zira.”

He felt a strange comforting sensation emanating from the man. It promised safety and companionship.

He nuzzled the man…

With a blink, the scene changed. Now, he was chasing a few of the younger kobolds. They had gotten into a game of trying to ‘hunt’ one another. At least, that was what he believed. However, as the game progressed, he got more and more frustrated about losing. He just wasn’t fast enough.

An idea came to him as they passed by the large trees that surrounded the clearing. Without a second thought, he began to climb–

The next few moments were a blur. Felix did something, startling him– Her. Then there was the sensation of falling, then crashing, then… Pain, incredible pain.

He screamed, rolling and thrashing. Everything hurt, instinct made him lash out. Suddenly, there was a presence in his mind. Scared, he attacked…

Everything faded, only to be replaced once more.

Now, the roles were reversed. He stood upon a bed, looking down at Felix. His partner was severely injured and there was nothing he could do. As Eri and Aluin worked tirelessly, he vowed that he would not let this happen again.

Once the elves finished, he simply curled up next to Felix and brooded. He was mad at him, he was mad at Ithea, but more importantly he was mad at himself.

For a brief moment, he imagined a void where Felix’s mind should be… The thought proved too much for him to handle. Breaking down, only a single thought ran through his mind.

I will protect him–

Felix was thrust out of the memory with that. The emotions behind that singular thought proved too much for him.

With a shaky hand, he touched the side of her snout. Gods, Zira… I’m so, so sorry.

She said nothing, but leaned into his touch.

They stayed like that, both silently appreciating the special bond they shared.

Aluin waited until Felix and Zira grew close to each other before quietly taking his leave. There was simply no reason for him to stay any longer. They weren’t speaking out loud, but it was obvious to him that they were reconciling their differences. Besides, after what had been revealed to him, he had a few questions and knew exactly who to speak to…

“Mind telling me what is going on and why I wasn’t informed?” He asked the air, knowing full well someone was watching him.

A moment later Ithea dropped from the trees above, landing right next to him. “What do you mean?”

“The dreams, visions, and Watcher. I somehow doubt you missed all of that.”

Ithea shrugged. “Watcher I knew of, but the others? Not so much–”

“And you didn’t contact me?” he asked sternly, cutting her off.

“That wasn’t part of my agreement, or contract. Besides, I’m almost certain I know what happened to the kobold. In fact, he’s not the only one being affected.”

Aluin stopped and gave her a serious look. “What happened then? I need to know.”

Ithea seemed to consider his words before she spoke.

“A spirit has manifested.”

Eri nearly collapsed as the last of the workers took off to complete their assigned tasks. She felt oddly exhausted, not physically but as if she had just spent a large chunk of mana.

Did I? she asked herself, massaging her temple. Dropping her hand, she turned to where Felix–

He was not there. Confused, she began looking for Aluin…

Where did they go– Oh. The moment she asked herself, it dawned on her that Felix had wanted to speak with Aluin in private. Deflating more from the realization, she had hoped to spend a little more time with Felix.

At the very least, he could have told me what was wrong… She shook her head. He probably didn’t want me to worry about it, that was the most likely answer but it still left a bad taste in her mouth. It also didn’t sit very well that both had left without letting her know…

Tired and disappointed, she reached out to the only person who could cheer her up.

Hey, Kyrith, what are you doing right now? Of course, she had a pretty good idea what he was up to even without having to peek into his mind.

Oh! Eri! Sorry, I was just playing with the others… Is everything okay? You seem…down. What happened?

I’m fine, just tired… Perhaps, I’ll come join you? I could use a little break.

We could fly! That always puts a smile on your face. He said enthusiastically.

With deep sorrow she turned him down. That wouldn’t be a good idea right now, I got the workers all running tasks and I’m sure someone will come looking for me.

He let out a mental whimper, but quickly added. Maybe we can go to the pond? I could use a bath… Also, I think the young ones are getting tired of being cooped up.

She furrowed her brow in confusion. Why are they being cooped up?

Because the others are concerned about the young ones getting in the way. He answered matter-of-factly.

Oh, that makes sense. But I don’t think they need to stay there all day… You know what? Maybe this is a good chance to get everyone out for a little bit. We’ll go to the pond and let you all swim.

Kyrith liked the sound of that. Great! I’ll let the others know!

Wait, Kyrith… Eri let out a sigh, he was too excited now to listen. She just hoped it wasn’t going to cause too many problems for the other elves.

Realizing the chaos that was most likely taking place within the hatchery, she began to make her way over to it. At least, she tried…

“Ma’am… A moment, if you will?” A vaguely familiar sounding elf asked.

Unable to place the voice, she quickly put a fake smile on and turned to face them. “Yes?”

There were actually two of them, both smelling heavily of woodsmoke. As if to accentuate the smell, they each had on an apron, smeared with dried blood.

Wait, aren’t these those cooks who kept boasting during the celebration? About managing to satisfy the dragons’ hunger?

The first one spoke up again. “Sorry to bother you, but we spoke to Felix about this…”

“But we heard that there is a kobold named, uh… Chef?” The second one said.

Eri blinked, suddenly remembering Chef’s complaint. Maybe this can work– No, who am I kidding, this will go horribly wrong. Still, let’s just hear what they have to say… “Yes, that’s correct. But, why do you ask?“

The two cooks looked at each other before the first continued. “Well… we promised Felix to help teach the kobold how to properly cook.”

Eri could only stare at the pair, too stunned to speak.

After a brief moment the second one added, “Now, we have no doubts that Chef can at least make something edible. But as cooks ourselves, we cannot let this stand. Still, we have respect for him for trying. We will do what we can.”

She broke out into laughter, causing the two cooks to give her a confused look.

“S-sorry!” she said, trying her best to calm herself down. It took her several seconds before she could continue. “I think you got it all wrong. Chef is indeed a kobold, but he is trained. I’d argue he’s one of the best.”

Now both cooks looked offended. “Oh yeah? Then who trained him?” the second one asked, folding his arms.

She cleared her throat, doing her best from smiling or breaking out into even more laughter. “A dwarven master chef.”

“Hah! Like the dwarves– Wait, did you say a master chef?!” one of them demanded.

Again, the two cooks gave each other a look. However, now their expressions were edged with trepidation.

“Could it be…?” the first muttered.

“No way, why would he? I mean, it’s a kobold!” the other countered.

Do they know a master chef? There couldn’t be that many, but Eri was a little surprised to hear them acting like they knew one.

Finally, both gave each other a nod before facing her. In unison, they spoke.

“We want to meet him.”