1 Chapter 7 - The Dark Elf Torvus
No one was quite sure how to respond to Callida. "Um...where are we going Belldandy?" Urd asked, not sure herself.
"Well I suppose we should head back to the village. We'll have to see what Belfar wants us to do now," she explained.
"Belfar?" Callida choked.
"Yes, Belfar," Belldandy said, looking at Callida slightly cockeyed.
"Don't worry," Pacatus said cheerfully. "I haven't met him yet either."
Callida looked at Pacatus loathingly. It was strange how her expressions could change so greatly and so quickly. "That's not what I'm worried about."
Pacatus looked at all of them and looked as if he might begin to cry. "Why does everyone hate me so much?"
Belldandy shifted her eyes. "No idea what you're talking about Pacatus. But we better get going."
Pacatus didn't push the subject. Keiichi began to feel bad for him, especially now with Callida's noticeable dislike for him. "It's okay," he said after straggling from the rest of the group. Pacatus always seemed to walk about ten feet behind the others.
He smiled. "I know they all think I'm lying or something and this is a covert op for the Elf side. But it really isn't. I have nowhere I can go or else I'd be there," Pacatus looked strangely reflective.
"I wouldn't worry about them much," Keiichi said. "They'll get to like you sooner or later." Keiichi suddenly felt very regretful of his previous behavior toward Pacatus.
"Thanks Keiichi," Pacatus said gratefully.
Keiichi smiled. "We better catch up wit the others," he said, noticing the normal ten feet had turned into a good fifty.
The trek to the Faerie village was longer than their first. Also, the weather had changed greatly from a misty, cool, autumn-like climate to a fierce wind, not un-autumn like but not as desirable as the former. There had also seemed to be a sprouting of trees suddenly as they passed by grove after grove, just like the one Pacatus had jumped down on them from.
"What's going on with all this?" Megumi asked, agitated, as they came upon at least their fifth tree orchard. "These weren't here before."
Pacatus was oddly quiet, but no one seemed to notice as when he wasn't quiet he was quite annoying. They seemed to view this as a blessing and was most likely attributed to their newest companion, Callida.
"I don't know but I'd like to get to the village soon. It can't be much longer." Belldandy said,
Pacatus suddenly stopped. His nostrils were flaring, smelling the air around him. His eyes shifted.
"What is it?" Belldandy asked.
He didn't answer. "Run," he said suddenly.
He began speeding away, going so fast he became a blur. The others looked at each other and began running themselves, Callida leading the way. She was surprisingly fast for someone so stout.
They ran for a few minutes until they caught up with Pacatus. He wasn't breathing heavily at all, as the rest of them were. Quite the contrary, in fact. He looked almost better than normal. His nostrils were flaring again and his eyes shifting still.
"What is it Pacatus?" Belldandy asked, this time more demanding than before.
He stopped sniffing to answer, "It's an Elf," he said simply.
Almost instantly after these words were uttered a tall, skinny form jumped down upon them from seemingly nowhere.
It took a second for it to register with everyone. In front of them towered a seven foot figure. Its skin a caramel color, but the rest of him was quite familiar. This was an Elf. A Dark Elf, but still an Elf, just like Pacatus. But this Elf did not look down upon them with a sweet, curious stare, but instead an evil glare.
"Torvus," Pacatus said in a barely audible whisper.
The Elf, apparently named Torvus, nodded in (if it's possible) an intimidating manner.
It seemed the pleasantries ended there, though. Torvus grabbed a slender sword from a holster at his brown, burlap belt. The sword gleamed slightly, though there wasn't much in the way of a sun out.
He thrashed at the air, moving toward the group. Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld moved forward as well. They knew they would have to win this battle for them.
Belldandy put her right palm out and a green ball of light flung out toward Torvus, who merely whacked it away with his sword. Urd did the same, producing an orange ball of light, Skuld a blue. But Torvus did the same to each of theirs. They looked to each other and nodded. All three created a light ball again, but theirs joined together to create a much larger, black ball. This time Torvus jumped up and came down upon it, his sword pointed outward, and split the ball in two. The two pieces seeped into the ground.
Now they didn't have any ideas. But Belldandy didn't back down. She now threw a barrage at Torvus but his sword just slashed them out of his way. He was now moving closer toward them. The three Goddesses seemed to accept their fate as they merely looked at Torvus in fear. Above them they heard a swooshing noise and looked up to find a familiar blur - Pacatus.
He landed in front of them, his own sword out. Torvus smiled. They exchanged blows, but both didn't make contact. They continued in this manner, jumping about and striking each other quickly. But neither gave up a hit. Until Torvus made contact with Pacatus's left shoulder. He winced and Torvus laughed. But Pacatus took this chance to slash Torvus across the chest. Torvus's eyes bulged out and he fell forward.
"You did it," Callida said in surprise.
"No I didn't," Pacatus said. "It's not that easy."
And sure enough Torvus wasn't dead. He jumped quickly to his feet but he had forgotten one thing on the ground - his sword. Pacatus took advantage of another mistake by his opponent and stuck his sword in Torvus's abdomen. Blood spurted out from the point of contact. Pacatus took the sword out and Torvus fell to his knees and, finally, to his face.
"Is he dead now?" Callida asked.
Pacatus merely nodded and returned his still bloody sword to his own holster. Keiichi suddenly realized he never noticed Pacatus had a sword.
"Let's go," Pacatus said. No one argued.
They walked, a little wearier than before, onward to the Faerie village. It was their first battle and it was amazing that Pacatus came to their rescue. Everyone now realized why Belldandy had let him come along. Why else would they need, of all things, an Elf?
Now far behind them, Torvus got up. He looked at his two wounds. Two battle scars from his most hated enemy - Pacatus. But as his eyes bore into these wounds, they healed. He was no longer injured at all. He now bounded away, not toward Pacatus and the others, but the opposite direction. The time for killing would come. But that time was not now.
No one was quite sure how to respond to Callida. "Um...where are we going Belldandy?" Urd asked, not sure herself.
"Well I suppose we should head back to the village. We'll have to see what Belfar wants us to do now," she explained.
"Belfar?" Callida choked.
"Yes, Belfar," Belldandy said, looking at Callida slightly cockeyed.
"Don't worry," Pacatus said cheerfully. "I haven't met him yet either."
Callida looked at Pacatus loathingly. It was strange how her expressions could change so greatly and so quickly. "That's not what I'm worried about."
Pacatus looked at all of them and looked as if he might begin to cry. "Why does everyone hate me so much?"
Belldandy shifted her eyes. "No idea what you're talking about Pacatus. But we better get going."
Pacatus didn't push the subject. Keiichi began to feel bad for him, especially now with Callida's noticeable dislike for him. "It's okay," he said after straggling from the rest of the group. Pacatus always seemed to walk about ten feet behind the others.
He smiled. "I know they all think I'm lying or something and this is a covert op for the Elf side. But it really isn't. I have nowhere I can go or else I'd be there," Pacatus looked strangely reflective.
"I wouldn't worry about them much," Keiichi said. "They'll get to like you sooner or later." Keiichi suddenly felt very regretful of his previous behavior toward Pacatus.
"Thanks Keiichi," Pacatus said gratefully.
Keiichi smiled. "We better catch up wit the others," he said, noticing the normal ten feet had turned into a good fifty.
The trek to the Faerie village was longer than their first. Also, the weather had changed greatly from a misty, cool, autumn-like climate to a fierce wind, not un-autumn like but not as desirable as the former. There had also seemed to be a sprouting of trees suddenly as they passed by grove after grove, just like the one Pacatus had jumped down on them from.
"What's going on with all this?" Megumi asked, agitated, as they came upon at least their fifth tree orchard. "These weren't here before."
Pacatus was oddly quiet, but no one seemed to notice as when he wasn't quiet he was quite annoying. They seemed to view this as a blessing and was most likely attributed to their newest companion, Callida.
"I don't know but I'd like to get to the village soon. It can't be much longer." Belldandy said,
Pacatus suddenly stopped. His nostrils were flaring, smelling the air around him. His eyes shifted.
"What is it?" Belldandy asked.
He didn't answer. "Run," he said suddenly.
He began speeding away, going so fast he became a blur. The others looked at each other and began running themselves, Callida leading the way. She was surprisingly fast for someone so stout.
They ran for a few minutes until they caught up with Pacatus. He wasn't breathing heavily at all, as the rest of them were. Quite the contrary, in fact. He looked almost better than normal. His nostrils were flaring again and his eyes shifting still.
"What is it Pacatus?" Belldandy asked, this time more demanding than before.
He stopped sniffing to answer, "It's an Elf," he said simply.
Almost instantly after these words were uttered a tall, skinny form jumped down upon them from seemingly nowhere.
It took a second for it to register with everyone. In front of them towered a seven foot figure. Its skin a caramel color, but the rest of him was quite familiar. This was an Elf. A Dark Elf, but still an Elf, just like Pacatus. But this Elf did not look down upon them with a sweet, curious stare, but instead an evil glare.
"Torvus," Pacatus said in a barely audible whisper.
The Elf, apparently named Torvus, nodded in (if it's possible) an intimidating manner.
It seemed the pleasantries ended there, though. Torvus grabbed a slender sword from a holster at his brown, burlap belt. The sword gleamed slightly, though there wasn't much in the way of a sun out.
He thrashed at the air, moving toward the group. Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld moved forward as well. They knew they would have to win this battle for them.
Belldandy put her right palm out and a green ball of light flung out toward Torvus, who merely whacked it away with his sword. Urd did the same, producing an orange ball of light, Skuld a blue. But Torvus did the same to each of theirs. They looked to each other and nodded. All three created a light ball again, but theirs joined together to create a much larger, black ball. This time Torvus jumped up and came down upon it, his sword pointed outward, and split the ball in two. The two pieces seeped into the ground.
Now they didn't have any ideas. But Belldandy didn't back down. She now threw a barrage at Torvus but his sword just slashed them out of his way. He was now moving closer toward them. The three Goddesses seemed to accept their fate as they merely looked at Torvus in fear. Above them they heard a swooshing noise and looked up to find a familiar blur - Pacatus.
He landed in front of them, his own sword out. Torvus smiled. They exchanged blows, but both didn't make contact. They continued in this manner, jumping about and striking each other quickly. But neither gave up a hit. Until Torvus made contact with Pacatus's left shoulder. He winced and Torvus laughed. But Pacatus took this chance to slash Torvus across the chest. Torvus's eyes bulged out and he fell forward.
"You did it," Callida said in surprise.
"No I didn't," Pacatus said. "It's not that easy."
And sure enough Torvus wasn't dead. He jumped quickly to his feet but he had forgotten one thing on the ground - his sword. Pacatus took advantage of another mistake by his opponent and stuck his sword in Torvus's abdomen. Blood spurted out from the point of contact. Pacatus took the sword out and Torvus fell to his knees and, finally, to his face.
"Is he dead now?" Callida asked.
Pacatus merely nodded and returned his still bloody sword to his own holster. Keiichi suddenly realized he never noticed Pacatus had a sword.
"Let's go," Pacatus said. No one argued.
They walked, a little wearier than before, onward to the Faerie village. It was their first battle and it was amazing that Pacatus came to their rescue. Everyone now realized why Belldandy had let him come along. Why else would they need, of all things, an Elf?
Now far behind them, Torvus got up. He looked at his two wounds. Two battle scars from his most hated enemy - Pacatus. But as his eyes bore into these wounds, they healed. He was no longer injured at all. He now bounded away, not toward Pacatus and the others, but the opposite direction. The time for killing would come. But that time was not now.