Sala took a deep breath and brushed the hair over her long, pointed ears before she stepped up to the portal. Experience hadn’t made the strange, shimmering gash in the air any less intimidating. It was even worse on the Alasanian side, where the portal was surrounded by chaotic lumps of purple crystal. The first time she had seen them, she had screamed; they looked like the skulls of the Elves piled on the floor.
This was the first time she had used the portal between Alasania and Swathmyre by herself. On her first trip to Alasania, she had nervously clutched her father’s hand as they stepped into the dark oval. She still remembered that wrench in her gut as her body was transferred between worlds. She had wanted to be sick but stood firm for her father’s sake. He was the chief envoy from the Elven Elders on Swathmyre to the Human Kingdom on Alasania, and the Elders had emphasised how important it was not to show the Humans any sign of weakness.
After two years of attending a human school in Mestrech, Sala felt much better prepared. She stepped through, feeling that strange, icy-hot sensation as she hung for a moment in portal limbo before stumbling onto Alasanian soil. As she fell into the room, she gasped for air and then nearly threw up again.
How could she have forgotten the smell? Three months at the home tree, surrounded by the baked air of the plains and the smells of her mothers cooking, had desensitised her to the often conflicting smells of Alasania. She’d asked her dad why it had smelled so strange when she had first come through.
“Well, little bird,” he’d said. He’d always called her that because she used to spend all her time leaping around the upper branches of the home tree, chasing birds through the blossoms. “You will learn the complete story at school, but the gist is: when the portals opened, the shockwave killed so much of the life on this planet that it couldn’t recover without help. Luckily, one of the planets they opened to was Green, the home of the Krey. The Krey have been helping Alasania recover from the cataclysm.”
“But why does it smell weird?” Sala had asked, wrinkling her nose.
“It’s because a lot of the plants and animals are from other worlds to fill the gaps in the ecosystem. This has created an unusual range of scents for those of us with sensitive noses.”
Once she had started school in Mestrech, one of her school excursions had been to see the Krey and the Druids working in the dead zones across the planet. Sala had learned that each area was unique, requiring a different balance of imported and native plants and animals to thrive.
Beyond the portal was a desk, and behind it sat a human male. After two years among humans, Sala was better at reading their facial expressions. Much of their expression depended on those odd circles on their eyeballs. In this case, the human looked bored. There was a queue of Elves in front of the desk, which Sala joined. Sala knew that this man was the gatekeeper who decided whether to allow Elves on to his world.
“Next!” The officious-looking human said when it came to Sala’s turn.
As she stepped up to the desk, his expression changed to the human version of surprise. It was probably her clothes; most of the other elves around were wearing traditional elvish clothing fashioned from the treated leaves of their home trees. Sala smiled to herself; she knew that it wouldn’t be long before they started wearing the more comfortable human clothing. Today, she was wearing a light white cotton blouse and light red leggings.
“Name?” The human asked, breaking her out of her reverie. He had his writing implement poised over a form.
“I am M’roysalaph’l from the clan of the plains under the fifth moon….” Sala said.
He held up his hand to stop her. “That is sufficient. What is your purpose for your visit to Alasania?” He said curtly, filling in her name on the form. Even upside down, she could see that he had not spelled her name correctly.
This was a difficult question for Sala; what was her reason for being here? Her father would say that she was on a journey of discovery, a quest to find herself; her Kaif’l. Such quests were common on Swarthmyre. The fact that she was seeking Kaif’l on Alasania had never been done before. It wasn’t exactly illegal to do this, but it certainly wasn’t in the Creed. It was only because of her father’s diplomatic status and her unusual upbringing that the elders had permitted this abnormality. Despite this permission, she knew that if anything went wrong on her quest, she would be labelled an outcast. Not that it really mattered, most other elves considered her an outcast anyway. But this human wouldn’t understand.
“I am searching for myself.” She said eventually.
The man sighed. “I can tell you exactly where you are, Elf. You are standing in front of my desk, wasting my time with mystical crap. Are you here to work?”
Even after spending so much time with them, human questions often baffled her.
“I always work very hard.”
The human shook his head.
“Are you here for a job — for employment?”
“No, sir, I am not.” She said clearly.
“Are you here for a holiday, for recreational reasons?” He asked next.
She thought she understood the question, but why would any Elf leave Swarthmyre for such a purpose?
“I hope to enjoy recreational experiences while I am here. Is that what you mean?” she asked tentatively.
The man sighed. “No, it isn’t. Is recreation your primary reason for being here?”
“No, I will be too busy studying; I am hoping that my schedule will permit me some time to explore this world more.”
“Hallelujah, we arrive at an actual answer.” The man put a large tick in a box on the form. “Now, which educational institution will you be attending?”
“The Helios Academy.”
His attitude, which had been bordering on obnoxious, changed immediately. It seemed more positive, as if he suddenly recognised her as a sentient species.
“The Helios Academy is a fine institution. I applied to attend there myself. If it wasn’t for my stupid knee injury, you would be looking at an alumnus.” His voice was wistful. “So, you’ll be staying in the Westphal College then. Never did figure out why Elves get their own college.”
Her suspicion, gleaned from previous interactions with humans, was that he was trying to impress her with his knowledge. Humans always seemed desperate to prove themselves, something Sala had never understood. Most Elves from the plains would have found such competitiveness pointless. This human drive was one of the mysteries she was keen to discover.
“No, I will be staying at Darius college.”
“Darius College!” The man looked slightly stunned. “Isn’t that a human college?”
“Not exclusively, they allow other races if they request it.”
Sala thought back to the conversation with her mother when she found out her intended destination. Like always, her mother was to be found deep in the bowels of their world tree, leading her team in preparing sustenance for the clan. It was a high-ranking position, and Sala had seen her get away with things lesser Elves would not, even questioning Elders.
“You can’t go.” Her mother had said flatly.
“The Elders have already given me permission, mother.” She responded.
In any normal Elven family, this would have been enough to end the argument. But not in Sala’s. In Sala’s early years, she had been embarrassed by the fact that her parents were considered strange. They always held fast to the Creed in public and knew to keep their opinions within the family. It had caught Sala out a few times when she had parroted an opinion she had overheard at home. It was why her father had taken her with him to Alasania for the last few years.
“Well, they shouldn’t have, you are far too young to be world-hopping by yourself.”
“I’ve been there before.”
“It’s not the same, and you know it, M’roysalaph’l, last time you were with your father and in the Elven embassy. This time you will be alone, surrounded by humans who all hate you.”
“That’s an exaggeration. Not all humans hate Elves, there were lots of humans I knew in Mestrech that treated me with respect.”
“Only because you are the envoy’s daughter. If you had been anyone else, they would have stoned you. I’ve heard the stories. Alasania is a chaotic and dangerous place.”
“It’s just different. Look, there is an embassy not too far from the academy, so they are used to Elves. There’s even an Elven college on campus.”
“And that’s another thing, why can’t you stay in Westphal college. At least that way you will be surrounded by your own kind like a proper…”
“Like a proper what mother?” Sala asked, “A proper Elf? I’m sorry that I am such a disappointment to you.”
“You do not disappoint me, my child. I know that you must forge your own path through life, just as your father and I have.” A wary colour crossed her eyes. “I too have suffered the curse of the questioning, and it brought me nothing but sorrow. I would dissuade you from this; it only leads to more questions and uncertainty. Don’t make the same mistakes as me.”
It was the first time Sala had felt truly close to her mother, and for half a breath, she considered not going. There was another path to follow, one where she didn’t look for answers outside her culture and was at peace with that decision. A life wrapped in the comfort of the Creed. The Elders would put her in a position where her skills would most benefit the clan, and at some point, she would be bonded and have children of her own. There was some attraction to that future. But the lure of the Alasanian world was strong; the questions and the search for their answers made her feel alive in a way blind obedience to ritual could not.
“You’re going to live among humans? On purpose?” The guard asked incredulously, “Well, that’s a first. I thought you Elves all had to live together, or you would get…kicked out…or something.”
“I think the closest word you have is ostracised; although it’s not quite like that, you see…” Sala could see the man’s small eyes take on that faraway look that usually meant she was over-explaining; “I got special dispensation from the Elders.”
“Oh ok.” The guard still looked confused. He then recovered, returning to his previous officious tone. “Right, do you have anything to declare? And when I say anything to declare, I mean, have you brought anything to this planet that is on this list? I assume you read Alasanian, so I won’t need to read it out to you.”
He handed Sala the list and she looked through it. The list hadn’t changed much since the last time she had been through the portal this way. Although that time she had been with her father and his group of under-diplomats.
“No, Sir, I have nothing to declare,” Sala said clearly.
“In that case, M’roysalaph’l from the clan of the plains under the fifth moon, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Alasania. Good luck at the Academy…Next!”
Sala picked up her documents and briefly smiled at the guard, who was now looking at his next customer. She briefly wondered if she had made an impression on him or whether she was just another faceless elf. She hoped that her experience with humans had made his job a little easier.
Her packs had been sent on to the Academy, so she just carried a small pouch when she left the portal building, walking past the intimidating guards, all equipped with stern expressions and professional-looking weapons. She’d questioned why the guards were there, considering the Alasanians were Elven allies. Her father hadn’t been able to explain this either, passing it off as a human tradition.
The portal building stood on the edge of Mestrech, and the fact that the embassy town had grown around it revealed much about Elven standing in the Portal Alliance. It also meant that in the two years she had been here, Sala rarely left the town. On this trip, she was excited that she’d get to explore more of Alasania.
There was a cab rank next to the portal building. Sala suspected it was called a rank because of the smell of manure. While they were stationary, all the living wood vehicles had roots pressing into the soil, drawing in nutrients. Periodically, the soil was replenished by a man with a shovel from the manure bins next to the rank.
Her driver wore the checkered flat cap, indicating he was a reputable cabby. Pretenders did exist, of course, but not for very long; a cabby’s reputation was everything, and so wearing an unearned flat cap was tantamount to suicide. He was small, wiry, and had a stoop that made him look as if he were perpetually bowing to his customers. “Where to miss?” he asked in the drawl Sala knew indicated he was from one of the poorer parts of Alasania.
“I’d like to go to Helios, please. Mr Cabby.”
“Me name’s not Cabby, little lady.” He said, even though he was a foot shorter than her. “The name’s Went, and I would be happy to escort you to our fair capital.”
He opened the door to his cab, and Sala slid into the sculpted but well-worn bucket seat in the back.
It wasn’t long before the cab had trotted further from the portal than Sala had ever been before. They were now deep into the woodland surrounding Mestrech, and Sala studied the forest. None of the trees were familiar to her from Swarthmyre. The area she came from was the plains, which were mainly sparse shrubland. These trees were different, with strange purple and green colours and odours meant to attract and repel the animals from their home worlds. It was a testament to Druid ingenuity that, while the forest seemed stitched together, the trees thrived. That was until they reached the first dead zone, an area of swirling dust clouds and lifeless earth. It deadened Sala’s heart to see it.
Went glanced back. “Now don’t you worry your head about such things, little lady. Them there druids will be getting to this area soon enough. Why, when I was a lad, there were more dead zones than living. Now they are few and far between on the well-travelled routes. It finally feels like we are winning and there’s some hope. But let us talk about something more jolly. Is this your first trip to Helios?”
“Yes, I am going to the Helios Academy.” Sala said, still staring at the desolate landscape.
“Then I will have to take you on the scenic tour around our fair city. There’s many a monument to Elven invasion… sorry, I should say to the Elves that assisted King Ruddleford to the throne.”
His slip worried Sala. The people at the embassy and even her father had told her that strong prejudice existed because of the role the Elves had taken after the Demon war had been won. But Mestrech had been so peaceful, and all the humans had been so nice to her. Went also seemed nice enough. Would it hurt to ask?
“Don’t you find it strange that you consider the Elven aid another invasion even though it was your human king that led them?”
“Don’t you worry your little head about it. It was a slip of the tongue, nothing more.” Sala saw a bead of sweat trickle down his neck. Did this man fear her? He clearly didn’t want to continue this line of questioning. Sala did, though. She was here to learn.
“Please tell me, good master Went. I will be living among humans in Helios, and it feels like this is important.”
Went sat rigidly in silence for a few minutes before appearing to slump. “Me and my stupid mouth.” He muttered, all his previous accent disappearing. “All right, Elf. You want to know the truth. Yes, the official story is that Ruddleford petitioned the Elves to help him stabilise the world after the cataclysm and the war. But we know the real story. The Elves saw an opportunity to kick us while we were down, and they took it.”
“Why would you think such a thing?” Sala’s voice came out much sharper than intended.
“Why wouldn’t we? Most humans were dead after the cataclysm and the war. We didn’t need an Elven army to stabilise the world. People were crying out for leadership. Yet through they came, killing and pillaging their way across the world.”
“That’s simply not true. The Elves didn’t need to fight; their superiority was clear. We never killed a single human. That’s why Ruddleford took power so easily; it was bloodless. If they wanted conquest, why leave when Ruddleford was enthroned?”
Went snorted. “I reckon old Ruddleford showed those Elves that it would be too much trouble to hold Alasania. Probably told them that we humans would corrupt them or something like that.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It’s true. The stories have been passed down through the generations. The lies are to keep you Elves fighting at the Dark Portal.”
Sala slumped back in her chair. Was this what the humans really thought? That the Elves had been dishonourable enough to betray their allies after the war. The story made sense only if you didn’t understand Elven culture. Elves had never had expansionist ambitions. They had everything they needed, and their losses in the war, although fewer than the humans’, meant they needed to build the population for Swarthmyre. The fact that Ruddleford had managed to persuade the Elders of the time to leave Swarthmyre and help him was the part that was surprising.
They spent the rest of the journey in silence. Went radiating righteous anger for what he thought the Elves had done to his ancestors, and Sala was deep in thought.
After driving down into the Helios crater, Went drove her into the centre and then stopped. “The Academy is over that way.” He said, waving his hand vaguely in the direction of a cluster of buildings.
Sala didn’t dare ask why he had not dropped her off closer and simply put coins into his hand until he looked a little less grumpy. Without another word, he left, his cab splashing mud onto Sala’s leggings as it trotted away.
Sala sighed. She had hoped to settle into her room at the Academy before exploring the city. She shrugged, this worked too, and so she walked in the general direction Went had indicated, eyes wide and taking everything in.
And there was so much to see. The streets were alive with a chaotic mass of stalls, taverns, shops, and so many people. There were more humans than she had ever seen in one place before. Other races were represented too, with the occasional pair of dwarves or gnomes strolling through the crowd. She even saw a group of five Elves walking on the other side of the road. They gave her the strangest look before moving on.
Elves were communal people, but soon the sheer weight of bustle became too much even for her, and so she turned into a quieter side street. The air was noticeably cooler now that she was out of the sun, and the small hairs on her arms pricked into alertness.
The alley seemed to turn parallel to the main street, and so she headed in the general direction of the Academy, reasoning it would be quicker than trying to push through the crowds.
It didn’t take long for the alley to narrow. There was no way Went’s cab would have fit down here, and only three Elves could walk abreast. It was strange, but the shadows made it seem like the buildings were leaning towards each other, making the gap even smaller. The air felt tight, and the sounds from the main street became muted and discordant. A prickle ran down the back of her neck. It felt like someone was looking at her, maybe even following her.
She stopped and listened. There were footsteps coming from behind her, rhythmic and unhurried. Then she heard another set walking with the first. She started to walk again. Something nagged her, making her heart beat faster, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
She walked faster, straining to hear the people behind her. If they kept to the same pace, there was nothing to worry about. The steps sped up. Then she realised what she’d seen, and the blood drained from her face.
None of the non-humans had been alone.
She ran.
The footsteps ran after her.
She was fit and fast and so quickly outdistanced her pursuers. Unfortunately, she didn’t know the area, and the alley ended in a featureless wall.
The footsteps slowed to their earlier, unhurried stride. They must have known she had no escape. She looked around for a way out. There were doors, but each looked as menacing as the next. Even if she did get through one, what would she find?
“What do we have here?” A sneering voice said, making Sala look back down the Alley.
There were three of them, all male and all dressed in coarse, dirty tunics. The leader, who had spoken, was taller than the others and wore a sneer. The others were smaller and more rodent-like.
“I seemed to have taken a wrong turn,” Sala said, her voice sounding surprisingly strong considering the threat these humans radiated.
“You’re right, Elf.” The sneering one said. “You shouldn’t have left your friends.”
“I haven’t made any friends here yet, but I hope to do so.”
“Well, isn’t that sad, boys. It brings a tear to me eye, it does.” He eyed her up and down, leering. “We could be friends. I’m very friendly, aren’t I, boys?”
The two rodents chuckled without mirth, their eyes bright with darkness.
Sala assessed the men. They were blocking the alley completely, so fleeing was not an option. Fight or talk. Like all students in Mestrech Sala had received training in the martial basics. Alasania was, after all, a planet under constant threat of invasion through the Dark Portal as well as other potential dangers from non-alliance worlds. Every child knew that one day they might be expected to fight. Sala’s speed and grace had certainly put her in good standing compared to the other students. But she had only been taught the basics; enough to know she wouldn’t stand a chance against these three, especially in such a confined space without a weapon.
“Why?”
“Why am I so friendly?” Sneer asked. “I don’t know. I guess I was just born with a sunny disposition.” He savoured the chuckle from his companions. “Or do you mean why are we going to do this?” The smile slid from his face. “You Elves, always so aloof, so superior, won’t even stand a drink with us humans because we might contaminate you. Like we’re diseased. It’s not right how you treat us on our own world. I reckon you Elves need to be brought down a peg or two. So that’s what my friends and I are going to do. Don’t worry, love, we won’t do anything too permanent.”
Rat and Ferret moved on either side of Sala, lightly grasping her arms, poised to pin her to the ground.
Sala’s legs were still free, and Sneer was close enough. She reacted on instinct, her right leg shooting up between Sneer’s legs, impacting with such force that it lifted him off the ground. He doubled over with pain, letting out a small whimper. She went to kick him again, but the rodents threw her to the ground, knocking the wind from her chest and bashing her head on the hard cobbled stone.
Sneer pulled a knife from his belt, eyes wide in fury. “You are going to pay for that.” He leaned over her, pressing the blade to Sala’s throat.
“Step away from her.” A haughty voice sounded from behind sneer.
The blade was taken from Sala’s throat, whether by sneer or the newcomer, and his weight was removed. The rodents let go, so she could sit up and see her would-be rescuers.
The five Elves she had passed earlier stood before her, each one armed with a readied short sword.
Sneer’s eyes darted between Elves, probably assessing in much the same way Sala had done a few minutes before. He wouldn’t have stood a chance against them. They were obviously trained, better armed, and they outnumbered his little group.
With the threat diminished, Sala looked at her attackers again with eyes unclouded by fear. They were young by human standards, probably still in school. The tall one was lanky, not quite grown into his body yet, while the shorter ones were even younger. These were not thugs; they were kids.
“Let them go,” Sala said to the Elves. “You have scared them enough.” And it was true, the fear scent rolling off them was acrid.
“No.” The lead Elf said. “These humans need to learn their place.”
The youngest rodent started to shake; a dark, wet stain joined the filth on the front of his britches.
The lead Elf sheathed his sword and grabbed the larger boy by his collar and punched him in the face. Then he punched him repeatedly. A regular, thump, thump thump. There was no expression on the Elf’s face as he did it, as if it were a chore that simply needed to be done.
Thump, thump, thump.
After too long a time, the Elf stopped. His fist was covered in red, and the boy’s face was a bloody mess. He let the boy go and dispassionately watched as the boy slumped to the ground. Sala heard the boy breathe, a ragged sound forced through broken teeth.
“You didn’t need to do that,” Sala whispered, tears running down her face and dripping to the floor to mix with the human’s blood.
He ignored what she said. One of the other Elves handed him a cloth, and he wiped blood from his hands. “My name is J’hnriliph’l from the clan of the plains under the fifth moon, son of S’mriliph’l, high Elder of Westphal college. I greet you in the name of the five moons.”
The ritual greeting seemed so out of place here, in this moment, with the smell of metallic blood saturating her nostrils, that Sala couldn’t respond.
But J’hnriliph’l just took a moment to finish wiping his hands before flinging the cloth at the fallen human.
Sala heard herself speak, as if from a great distance. “My name is M’roysalaph’l from the clan of the plains under the fifth moon, daughter of L’rsalaph’l; I greet you in the name of the five moons.” She sounded dull, lifeless.
J’hnriliph’l nodded his acceptance of the greeting, and the ritual was over. “These will attend to the other humans, while we take our leave.” He nodded to two of the other Elves who stepped up to the two younger boys.
“No,” Sala said, feeling a surge of energy that brought her back to herself. She purposely stepped between the Elves and the humans. “You’ve done enough. These two will need to help him home.”
J’hnriliph’l met her gaze for a moment, his eyes cool blue. She didn’t back down. “Very well.” He said, eventually. He turned to the two young humans. “Take this piece of refuse home. And if I ever hear you have looked at an Elf the wrong way, I will find you and kill you.”
None of the Elves helped as the two hoisted their friend between them and half-dragged him back down the alley, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
J’hnriliph’l turned towards Sala. “Compassion for humans is wasted. They will only stab you in the back.”
Could he not see that he had made matters worse with his actions? Humans like Went would see this as proof of every terrible story they believed about Elves.
“My mother sent word that the daughter of high envoy H’fulsalakh’l would be attending Helios Academy. However, I have not seen your name on the rolls of my college.”
“You would not. I am in Darius College.”
All the Elves looked at her with shock evident on their faces.
“You have chosen to live with humans? Has your wayward father corrupted you so much?”
Sala kept silent. The views of her family by other Elves were well entrenched, and there was nothing she could say to change them.
“This is unacceptable, you will apply to transfer to Westphal when you arrive at the Academy.”
He turned to leave, expecting Sala to follow, as the other lapdog Elves in his little retinue did.
“No.” she said.
J’hnriliph’l turned back, looking even more shocked.
“Explain yourself.” He barked, his voice shrill with anger.
Sala took a step back, then stopped herself, holding her chin up to face him. “The humans don’t understand us, and we don’t understand them. It’s created a rift that can only harm us when the demons invade again. It is only by living alongside them that we can fix this.”
His eyes flashed a menacing red. “To live with them is to invite corruption. We are here by the terms of the Alliance to fight, nothing more, nothing less. It is a sacrifice for those of us forced to leave our homes to come here. We do our duty, but we remain Elves.”
As they walked away, Sala shook her head in despair. It was an endless cycle. The humans would continue to believe the worst of Elves, and the Elves would continue to provide object lessons, feeding those beliefs.
Sala arrived at the Academy and was shown to her room in Darius College. She removed her clothes, which were splattered with human blood. As she stared at those blood-stained clothes, something inside her solidified. Her Kaif’l had been revealed. She would be the bridge between the world of the Humans and the world of the Elves. No one else could do it, no other Elf had her experience living on Alasania, and no Human would be permitted to live among Elves. It would require someone stubborn enough to question everything.
She smiled.
Someone just like her.