It was a beautiful day in Antonica, the sun was bright and the air was crisp. Up ahead Jazon could hear a waterfall splashing down. My doesn't that sound inviting he thought. He turned his steed towards the sound and galloped off. As he drew near such a sight beheld his eyes. A small elf with creamy white skin stood before him in a small pool of water. She was nude, the waterfall glistening off her body. Her red hair clung to her shoulders as the water drenched her seemingly perfect body. His breath drew sharply as he studied the vision. Was she real? Her shapely legs flowed gracefully as she turned to catch the falling droplets. Her grace crept upward to reveal curving hips, a toned stomach and farther up still his eyes caught her perky breasts. They hovered a moment as he drank her in. Her breasts look just the right size to fill his palm. His mind imagined cupping them, caressing them as she melted into him. The look on her face as she delighted in the waterfalls enchantment she would give to his caress.
Jazon could tell she was grace, poetry in motion. He felt a stirring within his body as he gazed at her. He wouldn't give up until he had her. She had a wild look about her, one that he'd love to tame.
Still quite a bit away from her she still hadn't noticed his presence. As he looked around to see if she was alone he notice the horrible monsters surrounding her. They walked around on skeletal bones; their souls long had left this world. They wandered too and fro, wandering ever closer to the bathing beauty. She was blissfully unaware of the danger, consumed with the waterfalls delights. With a twang of his bow a shower of arrows rained down, falling many of the beasts. Although they were made of bone they fell dead as if having their flesh pierced. The surviving beasts gave a haunting screech and scattered away, escaping to a deep cave in the mountain beside the water.
That certainly didn't escape her attention. She was just a flash as she got out of the water, grabbing up her clothes as she ran for cover. Jazon advanced in her direction, his bow poised for an attack from any lingering monsters. He peered behind the rock she had disappeared behind; it was bare. Where had she gone, could she have been taken in such a quick time? He stilled as suddenly he felt a blade at his throat. The cold steel pricked against his flesh as he felt her body press against his back. The thought of her still being naked, pressing her warm, silken flesh against his back stirred within him as he relaxed into her. He closed his eyes as his imagination started to run away. She pressed the blade deeper to his throat as he sighed and let out a low moan.
"What are you doing here?" she growled.
Snapping back to reality the heaviness of the situation became apparent. This was no whelp of an elf girl; she could slice his throat with a flick of her wrist and didn't look as if she'd hesitate to do so at the moment. He swallowed hard, the blade pricking into his flesh.
"Ah, well ma'm, you seem to have me at a disadvantage." He sounded so gallant, she'd dealt with his kind before; arrogant and cocky, so full of themselves she could spit.
"I'll ask you again. What are you doing here?"
"Well, rescuing a beautiful damsel of course."
She scoffed at his words. "I am not in distress."
She lowered the blade from his neck, keeping it ready at her side. "Those beasts were no threat to me."
He slowly turned to face her; cautiously watching her actions. The thought of the knife quickly faded as he drank her all in. He was disappointed to find she had managed to slip into her clothing. A monk's fighting gi, she was a warrior. The small tank like top left little to the imagination and only served to quicken his blood. She moved within the snug pants as if they were a part of her. She was small; her flaming red hair framed her face. She was even more beautiful up close. He couldn't help but notice how her creamy flesh looked as if it ached to be touched. His hand rose up to touch her as if she were a beautiful mirage that would vanish before a starving man. Jazon quickly remembered the blade she carried and returned his hand to his side. Fire gleamed in her eyes. She looked like a hellion, wild, and Jazon ached to harness it.
"Leave." she demanded.
"What's your name?" He questioned.
"I asked you to leave, why will you not go?" frustration sounded in her voice. It sounded to Jazon she was weakening to his resolve.
"I just want to know your name. It's not often I'm accosted by such a beautiful elf." He flashed a smile at her, one that had broken many hearts before.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and you look like an arrogant wood elf to me." Her face lit up with a twisted sort of smile, her guard finally breaking down. "Turn around."
He looked at her questioningly. He didn't know if he should trust her yet, it wasn't good to turn your back on such a threat especially if it was a woman. He'd learned his lesson plenty of times before. Still, if he wanted her trust he was going to have to give some. Slowly he turned around. He could feel her presence behind him. She leaned in to whisper in his ear. Her lips slightly brushed his flesh and he tilted his head back as he became drunk with her touch.
"My name is Cal'ay."
Her breath against his ear sent tingles down his spine. It was a warm caress, just the slightest of touch. With a flash she was gone. It was as if she had never been there at all.
****
Weeks went by and Jazon asked everyone he knew of the young woman named Cal'ay. No one had. It really was as if she had never existed. Jazon began to doubt he'd even had the encounter. Many times he'd revisited the waterfall but it was always void of that one thing that made it special. She wouldn't go away, he lay awake at night with visions of her haunting him. He finally resigned himself to the knowledge that she was just a fantasy. It was time to put his mind to more important things; Kelethin had put out a call for aid. Although the residence made their homes in the trees they were not untouchable. Surrounding orcs had made a push through their defenses. Such an uprising hadn't been seen in many years. He'd leave at first light to defend what he still considered his home.
****
He wasn't prepared for the disarray he rode into. A wall of orcs seemed to surround the trees, blocking escape. Rangers could be seen above shooting into the crowd. This was his old stomping ground and Jazon still had a few tricks up his sleeves. He knew battle sword to sword with a full-grown orc was foolish so he found a tree and began to climb.
Cal'ay brought her hand down hard upon the orcs shoulder, felling him in one blow. She tossed his unconscious body over the edge of the tree platform into the mob below. She watched it fall as it crushed two more upon reaching it destination. Three for one, not bad. She walked back and forth, watching and waiting for the next wave. So far they'd managed to keep the orcs at bay on the ground level. Occasionally they broke through and made it to the platforms, that's when she took over. A motion from the west caught her eye. She crouched down and peered through the trees. It was a ranger and a familiar one at that. He was shooting arrows as fast as he could get them out of his quiver. The sun caught off his blue chain armor, one would think he was a deity in this light. She, however, knew better.
His arrogance seemed to melt away as he concentrated on his targets. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. Even from this distance she could see his soft, wavy blonde hair as the wind blew through, it looked almost white in the sun. He gracefully reached behind him to grab arrow after arrow. She flashed back on the day when she had him in her midst. It went against everything she'd learned to give him her name but she couldn't resist getting close to him. He seemed to draw her in. It infuriated her as much as it excited her. She had resisted the urge to stick out her tongue and taste him as her breath caressed his ear.
An arrow flew past her head with a whistle, jolting her back to reality. Archers? When had the orcs brought archers in? She scrambled to take cover. Panic set in, if they spotted him in the tree he was an open target. As if her thoughts made it a reality an arrow stuck in the tree beside him. He didn't flinch. With an evil look in his eye she watched him shoot down into the crowd, beast upon beast fell to his bow.
They were drawn to each other. Both could feel the pull, a connection between them. His eyes glanced up to connect with hers. If the sparks could have been seen they would have lit up the forest. The silent words between them spoke volumes.
Jazon's eyes changed as she studied them; the distance between them meaning nothing. The flare of passion between them turned to pain. Cal'ay screamed in horror as he clutched his chest, an arrow protruding. His face glazed over as he slumped from the tree, falling into the sea of orcs.
"Xannos!" She screamed. "Xannos!"
The urgent shrill of her voice brought the mage running, his black and red robe flapping behind him. She grabbed onto his arms as he approached as if she would fall without him.
"Xannos, it's time." He could see the tears well in her eyes. Her anger at the attack had turned to anguish.
"But Cal'ay..."
"No! Do it, it's the only way, old friend."
Xannos couldn't hide his worry, what she was asking him was a last resort and a sacrifice for all.
"DO IT!" she screamed at him as she turned to the edge of the platform. He started waving his hands in a circle, as if mixing air. A soft hum could be heard as light shown from them. Brighter and brighter it grew.
Cal'ay stared at him for a moment, then turned and jumped into the crowd below. He couldn't hide his surprise as he chanted. If she survived the fall, she'd never survive what was to come. He closed his eyes to chant and pray.
Cal'ay hit the ground with a thud. Landing on her feet hadn't mattered when the fall had been cushioned by orcs. It took only moments to regain her footing and shake off the daze from the fall. They were all around her. She started shoving and punching her way. She must reach him. Her panic turned back to anger as they impeded her way. With a rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins she cried out, sending orcs sprawling in all directions. Finally she could see the clear edge of the mob. The light from the platform above her was almost blinding. She tumbled out of the orcs as if having been spit from their midst and hit the ground rolling. Cal'ay rolled to her feet, crouched down like a cat, searching for her quarry. She spotted his blue armor and made a beeline for him. He was lying on his side, blood pooled around him.
