Author's note: Hey, thank you all for reading. I'm sorry it took so long for this chapter to get published, but life comes at you fast. I recently moved and have had to spend more time making money for bills, so I have had less time to write. This chapter also went through a number of re-writes to fix some plot holes and future issues. If you are enjoying my story and want to read more, I have three more in the works that will be posted starting next month. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.
A special shout-out to both KenjiSato and Demiurging for their excellent work editing and offering their advice and suggestions.
Now if your time is free:
Chapter 3
Vamps, Elves, and Information Overload
"Oh, shit," Zeke said, staring into the mouth of the cave. Whoever was there, obviously, wasn't happy to see him. He stopped himself, mid-step, and slowly crept backwards. Hesitating for a moment, he debated on simply turning around and getting the fuck out of Dodge, but he had come here for a reason. They needed this person's help.
He turned to Saibh just in time to see her fly past him.
"Um... Mihalea. It's me, Saibh. We... uh... we need your help. We had a teensy... accident," she squeaked into the darkness. Zeke could tell her voice was riddled with fear and it didn't make him feel any more at ease.
"Saibh?... What are you doing here? Why have you brought this human to my home?" the voice returned.
"Weelllll... it's kind of a long story. He's lost, you see and has been wandering around the forest since last night. I ran into him and tried to help, but uh... I kinda got turned into a slave. But not on purpose, or anything! We messed up the spell. So, we decided to see if maybe, Eirlys would help us. Pretty please... uh, ma'am, my lord."
Zeke heard an audible sigh coming from inside the cave.
"Humans are not allowed to enter. Neither are you, for that matter, after the last time you visited," the voice said.
"Geez, I said I was sorry! How was I supposed to know how old that vase was?" Saibh pleaded.
Zeke cocked his eyebrow and shot her a questioning look. She just looked back at him, shrugging her shoulders and blushing.
"The last time I was here, I... maybe... broke a teensy weensy... priceless heirloom," she confessed.
Zeke facepalmed. He had the feeling he would be doing that a lot the more he was around her.
"It was more than just some mere heirloom," the voice roared. "It had been in my clan for twenty-five-hundred years! Not even magic could restore it. It took Eirlys weeks to put back together and it still has cracks!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But we really need your help. At least let us come in and talk for a few minutes. After that, we will be out of your hair," Saibh yelled.
There was a long pause and during the silence, Zeke gave Saibh a flat look. She just grinned back at him and shrugged her shoulders again.
"Fine. You may enter, but do not touch anything! Luckily for you, Eirlys is curious about this human, she says his aura is odd and I want to know why he is out here so far away from his own," the voice finally relented.
Saibh and Zeke exchanged glances with one another and stepped forward into the cave.
"I mean it, Saibh! Keep your hands to yourself or I will rip off your wings! You should be grateful your mother is a dear friend," called the voice.
"Okay, okay, I got it. I won't touch anything," Saibh grumbled.
As they passed through the mouth of the cave, Zeke looked around. Despite the size of the entrance, the inside looked shallow. Stalactites hung from the high ceiling in various places while stalagmites dotted the floor below them. He couldn't see much around, nor could he find the source of the voice that had come from within. In total, it was only around twenty feet deep, and he was having a tough time believing someone lived there.
Saibh raced ahead of him and disappeared behind a large boulder that sat just before the back of the cave wall. Zeke paused to watch her and when he didn't follow, she peered from around it and beckoned him with her hand.
"C'mon, it's this way," she said and disappeared behind the rock again.
Zeke followed her, surprised to find a hidden tunnel in the wall. It looked like it was just under seven feet tall and narrow. The inside was pitch black and Zeke wished he had a flashlight, or even his makeshift torch. Saibh was just in front of him and the faint green light she emitted was enough to illuminate the immediate surroundings. She stopped for a moment a short distance in, and he could see her start to gather mana in her hand.
"
Illuminate,"
she spoke.
A small speck of light appeared above her hand and grew to the size of a baseball. It stayed hovering above her upturned palm and though it was small, it gave off a very bright light. Saibh had to move it to her side so it wouldn't blind her.
Zeke continued to follow Saibh through the tunnel's various turns as he thought about what he had learned. They had been walking for a few minutes, and he was starting to wonder just how long the tunnel was and how the voice reached so far, when they finally came to the exit. Zeke's eyes widened in shock at the scene before him.
The tunnel led into an impossibly large cavern. It was lit brightly by the same balls of light that Saibh held, but even with their brightness, he could not see the ceiling of the cave entirely. The lights encircled the vast space every few feet, illuminating various outcroppings of rock and other geological features. However, the sight that was the most glaring stood in the center of the enormous space. A large stone plateau, maybe ten feet tall, rose from the ground, perfectly flat on the top.
On that stone, stood a house.
Two stories tall and constructed out of wood, it had warm yellow lights coming out through the windows with a staircase that had been cut into the stone, leading to the front door. It was painted white, except for the supports, and reminded Zeke of cottages he had seen in many fairy tales back on Earth. He gawked at the structure with his mouth hanging open.
Meanwhile, Saibh led the way with Zeke a short distance behind her, still marveling at the sheer size of the cavern. If he didn't know better, he would think the entire mountain was hollow. As they approached the stairs, he could tell how much care had gone into the craftsmanship. Each step was perfectly level, evenly measured, and could have been cut with a laser with how smooth it was.
As they came to the top of the staircase, they were met by a woman standing in front of the door. She was tall, beautiful, and intimidating. Jet-black hair fell straight across her shoulders and down her back. It contrasted heavily with her pale, ivory skin. Her breasts were large and being held by a black bustier that was tied tightly in the front, accenting her tiny waist. The top flowed down, over her wide hips, and into a long dress that ended at her ankles, where she wore opened-toed shoes with short heels.
Her face was slender and proud, with high cheekbones and a slim, slightly upturned, nose. Her eyebrows were thin but framed perhaps the most striking feature of her face, her eyes. They had bright red irises that seemed to glow in the light of the cavern. As she stared at them without blinking, her face wore a fierce expression of disapproval.
Zeke must have been staring too long or too hard because she suddenly turned her gaze on him, her eyes burning.
