Down The Rabbit Hole Ch 06 3

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

A Sexual Adventure in a Fantasy World

Chapter VI -- Unusual Beings

"Akiria, Akiria, you must come!"

"What is it now, Phialyra?"

"There are strange beings in the forest near the fissure. They seemed to have been born of the earth."

"Okay. What is so strange about them?" asked Akiria.

"They look like elves, but not--they're larger, and they have obscene skin coverings, like elfin slaves from the mines."

"You think they are escaped slaves who were hiding in the fissure?"

"I don't know. Maybe. They don't look like slaves other than possibly their skin coverings, but even those seem wrong for slaves-- I think. I mean, they are horrid, but not all raggedy. Might they be humans, Akiria? I've never seen humans this deep in our forest, but they looked bewildered--maybe amazed. I don't know; their expressions may be different from ours. Maybe they always look that way."

"Humans would be rare, Phialyra, but it might be possible."

"Perhaps they need our help."

"I must see these beings, but first, let us ask Thiosa if she knows who these beings might be. If they are humans, we should be careful. Elves could be hunting them."

"Why?" asked Phialyra, "I mean, why Thiosa? She's not right in the head."

"She has told stories of magical and unusual happening around that fissure," said Akiria. "Maybe they're not just the ramblings of an old Dryad."

"Let's apparate to her! I don't want to any waste time. These beings might disappear back into the fissure, and I'm curious about this peculiar occurrence in our forest."

"Oh, Phialyra. Your curiosity gets us into trouble more often than not, but you have made me curious also."

<<<< -- >>>>

Akiria and Phialyra magically appeared in front of the oldest of old forest nymphs. Thiosa still held onto her physical womanly beauty, as most nymphs did to their end, but she was beginning to fail on the inside. Not everything she said was understood by the other Dryads, and she mostly kept to herself in her home in the woods, away from the others. They stood before her in a domed room made of many thousands of woven sticks. There was one small window, but the light in the room exceeded that flowing through the smokey glass pane. There was a hearth, a table, a chair, and a bed. A large, partially opened cabinet stood along one side of the room, containing a haphazard arrangement of bottles and baskets of herbs and potions. There was little else but something cooking in the hearth smelled rancid. Akiria hoped it was a potion, not dinner.

"Goodness. Why do you do that to an old Dryad? You should not just appear in front of me like that. It would have been proper to apparate outside my door, then knock."

"We apologize, Thiosa, but Phialyra has seen something important we need to ask about. We think it could not wait."

"Hmm--we will see. I doubt it is so important that I should not be angry at you for appearing this way. What is it that you have seen child?"

"Thiosa, I'm no child," said Phialyra, "I'm old now."

"You are younger than me, and that makes you a child. Now, what is it? Don't waste my time." Phialyra wondered what she could be doing that was so important.

"There're strange beings on the path in front of the fissure in the west wall," said Akiria. "They wear unusual coverings on their skin but don't appear to be slaves from the mines."

"I thought it was Phialyra that saw them. Were you there too?"

"No, Phialyra told me about them."

"Then you let her tell me what she saw."

"Yes, Thiosa. Sorry," said Akiria.

"You think they came from the fissure?" asked Thiosa, looking at Phialyra through her cloudy eyes.

"Yes, and now I think about it, I am sure they were confused and lost. There might have been males, too."

"Males?"

"Maybe. What appeared to be females were shorter and, weirdly, didn't seem to be the ones in charge. It was hard to tell, however, because of those obscene coverings."

"That does seem odd. If you don't know for sure, assume they're all males of different sizes."

"Oh, okay."

"So, they came from the rock, but you don't think they are from the mines. And I deduce you don't think they are elves, slaves, or other normal beings for around here."

"No. At least, I don't think so. I didn't get awfully close, but I think they don't have elfin faces and ears, and one looked very tall and broad. It is hard to know for sure from a distance. And there are no elfin mines around here--are there?"

"No child, there are no elfin mines around here. I was just trying to figure out why you do not think they are from the mines. But if the mines are somehow connected to the fissure, could they not be enslaved humans escaping from the mines?"

"No--now that I ponder it, I don't think so. Their coverings were too unworn. I mean, they weren't torn or tied on with pieces missing. If anything, that made their coverings even more hideous. Even elves wouldn't cover their slaves that way. No, I don't think they would unless it was some kind of dreadful punishment. You don't believe me?"

"I think you are probably right. They are not from the mines. If they truly came from that fissure, are human, and wear strange coverings, then they are something even more unusual. They did not see you, did they?"

"No, of course not. I stayed invisible to these beings."

"Hmm... alrighty then. There are old tales about passages to other places--passages connected to the fissure. Another world even. It's good they are not elves. Elves should not learn of the fissure if it is such a place. So, if they are not elves, came from the fissure, and are lost, as you say, then they are travelers unfamiliar with our land."

"Travelers?" asked Akiria.

"Yes. The tales don't say where they come from; we don't know. As I said, it may be another world, which is hard to grasp, I know. It is said that these travelers are very rare but are always humans, and in this part of the land, always come from that fissure. If it is the one, I think you mean. Maybe there are other places where they emerge, but that fissure is the only one in our forest. It is possible that all humans in this world are descendants of those who appear this way. I don't know. But I do know this: they're said not to be magical beings when they appear; it seems that there is little magic in the place they come from. Once here, it is said that some develop magic, but at first, they are pitifully handicapped. I'm not the only one that knows of these tales. The elves know of such humans who come from this non-magical place and are interested in accessing their world--if that's what it is--for their own nefarious reasons. You must help these travelers, but first, make very sure they are not elfin."

"Can we help them if they are not of the forest?" asked Phialyra.

"Why should we help them?" asked Akiria.

"It's like they are newly born to our forest, unfamiliar with this world. It is our responsibility to set them on a path away from here discretely. If they are who I think they are, they will not believe what they see or what you tell them at first, but they need to hear you so that they are at least not completely blind to our land and perhaps will not fall into elfin hands. It is not good for us if they become elven slaves and cause the elves to become interested in our forest and the fissure. That would be a danger to us."

"What should we do to help them?" asked Phialyra.

"As soon as you can, rid them of their coverings. That makes them stand out to every creature who sees them. Word would quickly reach the elves. Then you must appear to them. They will not understand at first, but you need to tell them something of our land. Enough to give them a chance but not so much that you confuse them. Tell them of food. Tell them that there is mostly good here but also some evil, and warn them of the elves who have become hungry for power and wish for conquest.

"Hmm...also, you must help them leave the forest. Their presence is not a matter for the forest other than they first appeared here. They are potential elf attractants. Go now. Send them on their way. They will probably want to find other humans if that is what they are. If they leave to find them, that is best for us. But as I said, if the elves catch them, it should be well away from here. You need to give them a chance so they are caught somewhere else."

"How do we rid them of their coverings?" asked Akiria.

"Nymphling, use the antipeltheon spell. You have surely learned that one. It's basic."

"Oh, yes, Thiosa, both Akiria and I know that one well. We'll do as you advise. Thank you," said Phialyra.

"Yes. Thank you. How is it you make so much sense today?" Akiria asked, stung by the nymphling comment. "Usually, what you say is just silly."

"Someone asked me something important. Now go before my cockle bites you in your bum. And go out through the door. It's there for a reason."

Once out the door, Phialyra asked Akiria, "You know that spell? I admit that I don't."

"Yes, I do. You would, too, if you paid more attention when you were being taught. Let's go help these humans if that is what they are."