The Dragon's Child
Chapter 3: Life's Deceptions
Eiko cried late into the evening. She knew her time was short but she allowed herself at least a little time to grieve. The man would be buried soon. It was still warm out and farmers had yet to harvest their fall crops. They would have her precious husband in the ground quickly before winter set in and the ground froze. She dressed her husband in his Sunday clothes and he was laid in their bed looking strangely as if he were merely sleeping.
Eiko allowed her glamor to fall as her skin paled her ears grew pointed and her already long russet hair fell to her feet. She had always wished she could have revealed her secret to the man she loved, but that was the fate of an elf that fell in love with a mortal. She knew they would be coming soon. She felt safe in the knowledge that her daughter would be accepted, but she feared for her son. There were signs that he was different even for a half mortal. She had always known that the man she married was special when he had gotten lost and wandered into their realm. She had tried to cast her magic on the man to put him into a sleep but he resisted. She was, however, able to make a glamor that disguised her elfin features from him.
Katsuya was so like his father and such a beautiful child. She did not know what would happen to him, neither could she protect him. She had little magic left. Being banished for the crime of laying with a mortal she had been cut from all but the minimum of her magic. She felt it was returning but there was no doubt that those sent to retrieve her would be very powerful.
Elves held an innate mistrust of mortals. She supposed there was good reason, but her husband had been a very good man and the people of her community had always been kind. She'd see her love buried then she would flee.
Eiko felt the tingling sensation chilling her bones. The nights were growing darker and colder, but this sensation was not a reaction to the setting sun. Was she lying to herself? There was perhaps not even time for her short grieving period. She began to frantically gather her things. She must get her son away from there before they came for her.
Eiko woke her son, "Katsuya baby, we need to leave. I want you to grab your things and put them in this sack. The elf had forgotten to put her glamor on and the boy's eyes widened."
"Momma! Daddy!" The terrified boy screamed.
"Katsuya my angel," The woman knelt desperately before her child, "It's me your momma. I know I look different."
"Mommy?" The boy sniffed.
The woman hummed softly then began to sing, "My little Katsuya…My pride and my joy…Yes you are my special little boy." Her voice waivered in sadness but the boy recognized her finally. She held out her arms. Katsuya's eyes lit up in wonder as he ran to her. The woman and boy hugged. The Katsuya asked her, "Where's papa?"
"Oh baby," She grew quiet but she answered, "Your papa is sleeping."
"Can I lay with you and papa tonight?" The young child asked, "I'm scared Momma."
"My sweet angel," She held the boy rocking him, "Your papa has gone to heaven now he sleeps in the arms of god tonight. Know that your father loves you very much and he will always watch over you. You and Shizuka will always have papa in your hearts."
"Mommy," He cried as he buried his head into her chest.
"Shh," She stroked her son's back soothingly as she whispered in his ear, "I know baby, Momma is sad too. I miss your papa so very much, but we must be strong. People are coming. They will want to take you from me. We must gather our things and run away. Papa would want you to live and be happy. We must go tonight. Please get your things baby. I'll get your sisters things and mine and some food."
"Ok Momma," The boy answered and wiped at his tears, "I'll be strong for poppa, and for you and Shizuka." He took the sack his mother had offered him and began grabbing things. He was a smart lad and went for important things first; his favorite toy. It was a whistle that his father had carved for him. He put it around his neck. He grabbed a few other treasured items such as his marbles. He then took his clothes and shoes. He knew he would need them. He dropped all but his whistle into his bag. The boy went to the kitchen and sat waiting for his mother.
Katsuya remembered his precious Kitten Tobi. He dropped his bag and ran out into the dying light. He found his kitten curled up with the other balls of fluff in the barn loft. The mother yawned and stretched. She mewled at the boy asking to be pet. He petted her back a few times to placate her and then he picked up Tobi.
"I've got you Tobi," The boy hugged the kitten who whined in protest…
…Eiko had her daughter swaddled in a blanket she had a rucksack strapped to her back and walked into the kitchen.
"Hello Eiko," The woman gasped as there stood before her a man with pale skin and sharp eyes. He had auburn hair and features that matched her own. She froze. The male elf swaggered toward her, "It has been a long time sister. Your mortal is dead the spell you cast had no power to protect you from us any longer."
"Sora," The woman spoke as her eyes darted around the kitchen.
"What are you looking for Eiko my dear," He caressed her cheek with his knuckles. She turned her head away.
"Do not touch me," She spat at him.
"Your husband is dead," He pulled away as he spoke but brought his hand quickly back and struck her face. Eiko's head snapped to the side but she looked back defiantly. Sora looked down at her arms. She jerked in instinct as the man moved the blanket from the babe's face. He spoke, "I see the man bedded you nicely. Quite a pretty child, looks just like you."
"Don't you dare hurt them!" She warned.
He looked puzzled, "Them? I see only one."
"Momma! I had to go get Tobi!" Katsuya chose that moment to run into the kitchen. He was caught by the strange man. The boy yelped as he was lifted by an arm the white kitten was dropped roughly to the floor it hissed and ran from the man and child.
"Put him down," His mother cried.
"This one," Sora began, "…Is a beautiful little prize indeed. That hair is so golden. Those eyes are like honey. He would make a good slave. He is not too old for training."
"No!" Eiko screamed at the man.
"No?" He came back at her, "I think this half-elf would not be fit for proper society. He looks too…human."
"Momma!" Katsuya struggled. The boy's arm was bent at a funny angle and he cried out in pain and fear, "Mommy!" He kicked his dangling feet as he screamed.
"Please! Sora please don't hurt him!" Eiko's pride fell away and she was reduced to begging at the sound of her child's pain.
"Mommy!" The boy whimpered as the man's grip tightened on his arm. Sora lifted the boy closer to inspect his face. He licked his lips.
"He will fetch a fair price at the slave market with those rare looks. It is unheard of for even a half-elf to have such golden hair. It was true most elves were fair skinned but had dark hair and green or hazel eyes. The exception being the white elves which had no coloring what-so-ever having White hair and eyes like the mist, but they were a cursed and blessed lot. The holy sacrifices of the gods and were blinded to the physical world but seers of the spiritual realm.
"This one truly is yours and that filthy human's offspring? I didn't know your blood was so weak, but never mind I think this mistake of nature turned out to be a real piece of art."
He dropped the boy at his feet. Katsuya curled up cradling his misused arm. It looked to be dislocated. Eiko would remedy that once she could get them away from Sora. He seemed even more insane then he was when she had broken her ties with her family and with the elfin kingdom.
"Sora my children and I will be going nowhere with you," She spoke coldly as she inched closer to her crying child. She quickly bent down and dragged Katsuya toward her. She felt a surge of magical energy in her desperation she used the mysterious magic to vanish with her young children.
Sora gaped at the spot where she had knelt with her young ones. Then he screamed in a rage. How dare his betrothed run from him once again. It was bad enough that she lay with that disgusting human but to protect such a weak and undesirable child. That boy was only fit to be a pleasure slave for some Nobleman. He would surely never be gifted with abilities that his mother had been graced with. She had made a poor choice in disobeying their father and refusing to marry him. She would pay the cost and the debt would be taken out of the hide of that wretched little half human.
He vanished intending to return with reinforcements. The woman could be anywhere at this point.
…Eiko was thankful that she managed to get away but she knew that Sora would be hunting them from that point on. She regretted nod having grabbed her son's things. He was only in his night clothes and no shoes. The nights were cold now and soon the days would begin to cool. The boy was in a fitful sleep; pain was etched on his face. Eiko had had to pop his shoulder back into the socket and he had screamed, oh how it had hurt to hear the pained wails of her child. He had fainted but now was resting in her lap as she wrapped herself and her two children into her cloak and settled down for the night. She was fortunate that that burst of magic had come to her but for the life of her it felt so foreign. It was like someone else was feeding her magic. She felt it had drained away quickly. She was too tired to worry about it for the time being but later she would think about it. She thanked the fates that she had been wearing the ruck sack with their food and hers and Shizuka's clothes when she had vanished. She could keep her babies warm and fed for a short while at least; until she could go to some obscure town and hide for the winter. She was still weakened so there would be no possibility of traveling far from the spot they were in. She settled in for a fitful rest.
