Chapter 2: Out of the Mist and into an Elf

Mist is a very easy concept to grasp. It surrounds you, blocking vision, and makes things damp. But, when I say Mist, I don’t mean mist. They are very similar, that is true, but what you encounter in the normal world is mist, not Mist.

Now Mist is something different. It takes the same form as mist, is made almost exactly like mist with the same feel and dampness, but what makes it different is that there is a story to Mis,t.

When I was creating my world, Mist was a very important factor. It surrounded the world, stopping anything from exiting, and anything that came from Mist was special and powerful. So, being surrounded by what I knew to be Mist, I knew something was strange.

Some of you may be wondering how I knew it was Mist, and not mist, well, that is easy. There is a quality of reality with mist, which does not exist with Mist. This is because Mist is not from our world, is not in our world, and will never be there. Because of its lack of existence in our world, it’s easy to tell the difference.

Just think of it as being thrown into unfamiliar territory, you can sense the difference in the air, that it’s something you’re not familiar with at all. That’s how I knew, it’s really that simple.

Waking up and finding yourself in Mist is not the most pleasant thing, especially when you’ve just spent the night in a nice warm bed, but the Mist wasn’t the only thing that was bothering me. I was no longer in my favorite PJ’s, but was in a sleeveless white gown, something I didn’t own and had never even seen before.

The worst thing was that I knew I was awake, and that I knew what I was in, and I knew I was lost. I can’t describe how scared I was at that moment, I almost started to hyperventilate.

Despite my near panic-attack, I tried to find my way out, to get back to my world, well, not my world, I was in my world, but the normal world. Except that… I couldn’t, no matter which way I turned, no matter how many steps I took, I was still in the Mist, no closer to my home or my bed.

Finally, my feet gave out on me and I lowered myself to sit down, but didn’t. Instead, I found myself falling through the Mist, a truly terrifying event. I didn’t know how high up I was, or what was around me, or even if I was close to the ground, if it existed.  My hair was all around me, blocking my sight as it wrapped around my face.  The skirt of my dress spiraled around, as if it was dancing around me, creating some enchantment.  My lips became dry and cracked, and no matter how much I licked them, nothing  would change.  After about five minutes of falling, I realized something: I wasn’t actually falling. I was simply standing in the Mist with air being blown at me, which didn’t make any sense. But I tried walking away, and, to my surprise, it actually worked. I walked out of the wind gust and actually found a difference.

In the Mist, there were several mirrors, at least, they appeared to be mirrors, though no reflection showed on their surfaces. They were lined up so that there were eight, side to side, and each had an intricate symbol carved into their left hand side. I knew what each symbol meant, after all, I had created them. They represented each of the main races of my word: Elves, Fairies, Pixies, Trolls, Vampires, Werewolves, Humans, and Dwarves.

Even though I understood the symbols, I didn’t understand why they were on the mirrors, because I had no memory of ever creating them. 

I wanted to reach out, to touch one of the mirrors, they each had a magnetic force that seemed to be pulling me to them, and I knew I would have to decide one soon enough. There was no choice, I was only allowed to choose, not refuse.

I didn’t know why, but I knew it would be an important decision, one that would shape me for the rest of whatever time I had in my imaginary world. Too bad that time was spent much longer than I would have preferred, but then again, some things cannot be rushed, because if I had rushed through my jobs, I would have screwed things up and had to start all over again from scratch.

Finally, I chose my favorite race: the elves. I loved everything about elves, how they moved, how they looked, their way of life and peace. I was entranced by what I had loved and morphed to my perfect image. I didn’t know what would happen, all I knew was that I wanted to start it off with something I loved, something that would most certainly change.

My fingers reached out and touched the symbol of the elves, causing it, and the whole mirror to glow, like a golden light was within and trying to break free. Finally, the glowing stopped for a millisecond, revealing an elfin figure that looked strangely familiar, even if that wasn’t possible.

The millisecond having passed, the glowing returned, more powerful than ever, bursting out of the mirror and encompassing everything around it, even the Mist. The golden light actually made the Mist disappear. Not only did the light seem to surround me, but enter me, filling me up, as if it was trying to change me, whether or not I wanted change to occur. The whole process only took a few seconds, and at the end of it, I passed out.

Each time that day, it would prove that waking up would hold changes for me.  I have never forgotten my first day in my new body.

* * *

The sun peaked through the windows and tempted my eyelids to part, facing my new day and my family problems. Trying to hide from everything, I reached for my blanket to pull it over me, hiding the evil glow. What I ended up grabbing was not my comforter, but something scratchy that caused me to itch.

My eyes shot open and I looked around the room, what most certainly was not my room. It was very bare, with wood floors, walls, furniture, very simple, not even one poster of any musician or anything. The only thing it had in common with my room was a bookshelf, though the books were nothing alike whatsoever.

Throwing off the… blanket, I rolled out of bed and stretched. That was when I noticed that something was off. My eyes moved down and grabbed what I was wearing: a white undershirt with somewhat billowy at the sleeves under a brown vest with brown leather pants. Not something anyone would sleep in unless they were too tired to change and just fell asleep clothed.

Sure enough, the clothes were somewhat rumpled and wrinkled.  I was just confused.  When I  ran my fingers through my hair in the normal world, they stopped at my shoulders, where my hair was supposed to end.  However, my fingers found that there was still hair, much more hair. I grabbed a lock and brought it to my eyes, seeing that not only was it much longer, it must have gone down to my waist, but that it was also raven black, instead of my normal brown. The next thing I noticed were the fingers, they were pale, very pale indeed. I may not have been tan as a human, but I was no Snow White, which seemed like nothing compared to this skin.

Now the panic struck, causing me to look around desperately for a mirror. There was none hanging on the wall, so I had to shift through different drawers until I found a simple hand-mirror and held it to my face.

I almost dropped it in my shock. My skin was truly pale, and my face framed by black locks. But that wasn’t the most shocking, my baby-fat was gone, left instead was a sharp and angular version of my old face. The only thing that hadn’t changed were my eyes, the same muddy-brown. The last thing to draw my eye’s attention were my ears. They were long and pointed.

My hand moved up to touch them, and as they brushed against the tips, they twitched. My ears twitched, and not only my fingers felt it, but my ears felt it as well.
I was also taller, at least 5’9”, four inches taller than before.

My body felt strange, balanced like it hadn’t been before. It was like all the pieces were put together perfectly with no gaps or mistakes and I could move without tripping over my feet.

There was no explanation for why I felt like this, except that I knew there was something I needed to take care of. Rolling up my left sleeve, I looked at my palm and saw the elfin symbol for fire. It was simple, I was a fire elf, and somehow, I had been transformed into one. 

With this realization, the memories of my last waking came back to me, of the Mist, the mirrors, and that golden light. My mind went back to what had caused this, remembering everything before I had fallen asleep, and Madame Lethur’s words came back to me, ‘I give you that pair on the condition that you always keep them in this bag when you are not using them.’ She had meant it as a warning, and it was something I had followed perfectly, until last night.

Now it made sense, everything made sense… well, not everything. But there was something magical about that journal and pen, and the bag was meant to contain that. All I could do was jump for joy, I was free of my dad, free of tests, homework, of being a human! Not only was I something different, I was something powerful and graceful: I was an elf.

Everything seemed so perfect, and I was so excited I didn’t notice that the insignia on my hand beginning to glow. Before I could stop it, a small fireball flew out of my hand and hit a nearby chair. Panicking, I grabbed a nearby water basin and threw it at the fire. Luckily, it went out without any difficulty.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I sat on the now somewhat burned chair, which collapsed under me. Finding the perfect opportunity, I cursed out in the elfin language, never having been able to do so in the normal world.

My eyes began to wonder, until they settled on a spot on the bookshelf. It took my eyes a few seconds to realize that my journal, the precious leather book which described every bit of the world was sitting on that bookshelf. I attempted to push myself up, but my newfound strength broke through the wood. That was not good, because elves homes were formed from trees, and to repair it, a tree-singer would need to be called.

Once again cursing, though not out of pleasure this time, I slowly got up and headed to the bookshelf. My new hands picked up the journal and opened it. I was glad to see that all of my work was still there, and that the pages were still endless.  There was so much I forgot about my world, because I just wrote and never looked back.

That wasn’t the only use the journal had for me, though I had yet to realize it. Stupid, I was such an idiot, but somehow, I think this was an important journey, at least for me. I’m still not sure about everything about that happened myself, but that’s how things are, and you can’t change everything, well, I can, but only in my worlds.

Turning my eyes back to the shelf, I saw a glint, and my hand pounced for the crystal object. I felt it’s cool edges in my hand, I could feel the liquid ink moving inside of it. All my senses were sharper than ever, and I grinned at the adventures I could have as an elf.

There was only one problem, which I realized as I looked back down at the rumpled clothes that covered the body that was mine, but yet, not mine. It had obviously belonged to someone else, otherwise the clothes would not be rumpled, the hair not black, and the somewhat bad breath that showed a night of drinking. Whoever had previously owned this body liked to party, or there had at least been a celebration the previous night.

I just hoped whoever her friend’s were didn’t mind the differences they would find when they met me. I didn’t know anything about this elf girl except that she was a fire elf. Even though I didn’t have the right personality for a fire elf, I was never aggressive enough and I still hate confrontation to a certain point, I had still always wanted the ability to control fire.

To be able to control something as wild and destructive, yet altogether as beautiful as a flame, to be able to feel its heat in your palm, yet never burn, to start a mass of destruction with just one little spark, it all intrigued me.

Suddenly, a little tingling sound permeated the air and sent my ears twitching to find the source of the sound. It was an easy thing to do, it was someone singing outside, below my window. The song struck a cord in my heart, it was so happy, so pure and full of love, I wanted that song to be song to me… and my mind clicked. Maybe that song was being sung to me, I wanted to believe that, even if the song wasn’t being sung to me as a person, but me, the body.

I glided to the window, using my new graceful legs to carry me, and peered downwards, smiling as the music filled me. My hair fell don, covering half of my face.

“Lani, come down here!” a masculine voice called out as my head poked through the window. I couldn’t see what he looked like, so I pulled my hair out of my line of sight. I was pleased to see he was very handsome indeed, and that he was obviously strong.

Elves, at least my version, did not show muscle unless they were extremely strong by elf standards, and I could definitely see some muscles on this guy. He was tan, with shoulder length blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. He’s the first face I saw with my new eyes, the first voice I heard with my new eyes, and I was so glad that it was him.

I waved back and called, “In a minute,” in elfin. It seemed that I automatically slipped into the native language of the Isle of Elenuar, the Isle of Elves. Every main race had their own land, or, at least, half of a land if they did not coexist.

I don’t know why I did it, other than that I was excited. I jumped out of the window and landed gracefully on the ground with a large smile on my face. I had forgotten that I was still wearing clothes from the precious day.

Whoever the male elf was, he picked me up and gave me a kiss on the lips, my first. I would have pushed him off, but it felt so good; his warm, soft lips pressing tenderly against mine.

He then stopped, and stared at me curiously. I realized that I must have done something wrong, I wasn’t used to kissing at that time, and felt I had probably not done a good enough job.

He placed me on the ground, and then quickly scanned himself, picking up parts of clothing from his body and examining them, like he was seeing if something was missing.

I cocked my head and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He chuckled, “I’m just surprised that I’m not burned to a crisp. Are you drunk on that moonberry wine from Old Samel’s death party?”

When he mentioned a death party, I understood why I was dressed up mildly fancy clothes. There had been a celebration to say goodbye to Samel, an ancient tired of life, so he was going to end his. Elves live so long, when they can no longer take it and find the have no more to do, they end their lives. It may seem morbid, but it’s less morbid then living for eternity, watching everything that isn’t on your home land change.

“Why would I burn you to a crisp?” I asked, confused. He was such a gorgeous elf, and he would be simply marvelous as a human, how could anyone hurt him? And he was such a good kisser.

He rolled his eyes, “Truthfully, I don’t know. You burn me so much and… hey, are you alright Lani? You’ve never acted like this before, least, not to me.” He had a genuinely concerned look on his prefect features, I can still remember how rapid my heart rate became as my brown eyes met his green.

I realized my mistake and cursed at myself for not knowing anything, “Listen, OK? I have a headache, and I can’t remember things exactly, so I’m sorry, alright?” I snapped at him, thinking that might make things a bit better.

“Now there’s the Lani I know and adore, and exactly how much don’t you remember? Enough for me to give you another kiss?” He had a devilish smirk on his face.

It was obvious that ‘Lani’ would never do something like that.  She smirked and controlled herself as she let her fingers begin to spark, “You blew your chance when you stopped it the first time. My memory may not be good, but you shouldn’t push your luck loser.”

He looked at me curiously, “Loser? What’s a loser?” I realized that I had slipped up and said a human word that did not exist in elfin.

“Loser, it’s what you are, you son-of-a-troll!” It wasn’t the worst insult, and if we were as close as I guessed, he wouldn’t do anything to harm me. However, if I had been mistaken, then let’s just say a very bad fight would have occurred, and I had guessed his element, which put me at a great disadvantage.

“Oh, you’ll pay for that Lani, and the name’s Gregor, if you were too blubbering drunk to remember.” I could feel the tips of my long ears turn red, he had me. I made elves to sharp for my own good, it would make it hard to pull off living as an elf if I didn’t even know my best friend’s name.

“I know you’re name, Gregor, but who says I wanted to use it? Calling you a loser seems more appropriate,” I snickered and leaned against the trunk of my tree house.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, “Alright Lani, and we need to get to work getting rid of some weeds. You need to be in tip top shape to flame those babies to oblivion.” He smiled and rubbed his hands together, it was obvious he enjoyed his work.

“Yeah, right. Um, but should I get changed?” I accidentally slipped back into Tammy mode. I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to wear the same clothes two days in a row, especially since I was wearing death party clothes.

He smirked, and instantly I knew I was going to regret asking that, “You know you can’t be burned, but clothes can, or have you even forgotten the basics taught in the El’s school?”

“Wait, in other words, I have to be…” I balked at the idea o even saying the word.

“Naked,” he finished for me, still smiling, “as a fresh born human babe.”

“Ok, let me just put away these clothes and-“ I started to try to find the entrance to my house when he grabbed my arm and said, “You never wear the same clothes twice Lani, you burn them everyday and have craft a new one for yourself in minutes on a slow day.” He was serious, and I knew I would have to keep up a somewhat illusion of Lani.

“Fine!” I spat at him and fired up my hands. I grabbed my clothing and they burst up into flames. By my creation, elves are perfectly fine with nudity, and clothes are only used in the winter and personal style.

He grinned and began to walk, leading the way down the paths of the elfin forests, though not saying a word. I enjoyed the beauty of the towering tree homes, the music of the wind bowing around me. It was such an experience, better than I had written it. I still have a special place in my heart for Elenuar, it was too beautiful for words to fully capture, yet somehow, it was all real.

Finally breaking the silence, Gregor spoke up, “So, how much DO you remember exactly Lani? I know you’ve lost a bit here and there from drinking so much, but you seem a bit… different than usual, less prickly I suppose.”

I stopped and stared at him, I was a really bad actress.  I wasn’t sure how much I should tell him, how much I could trust him. If Lani was his best friend, how would he react to me being her?

After waiting for a response, but not getting one, Gregor grabbed my chin and yanked my face so that we were facing each other, our eyes connected by what seemed to be a string of energy.

After what seemed like an eternity, he let go of me with a somber expression on his face, “You’re not Lani, are you? Your eyes are wrong.”

I gulped and tried to cover, “What are you talking about Gregor? I just got a bit drunk last night, you know? Not that surprising that I’m still a bit foggy is it?”

He shook his head, “No, your eyes aren’t hers. You may both have brown eyes, but she has these little specks of red there as well.”

My eyes widened as I realized something, no matter where I went, my eyes would be the same. I didn’t quite understand what that thought meant at that moment, but later on it would become perfectly clear what my epiphany meant.

“Does it really matter who I am?” I hoped it wouldn’t, he was too gorgeous and I didn’t want to have to let him go.

He sent a glare straight at me that made my heart stop for a moment, “Yes, it does matter. Where in the Mist is she?” His eyes were beginning to glow, something I did not want to happen. If he fought me, with his experience and element, I was going down, no questions asked.

I managed to stutter out, “I-I-I don’t k-know where she is. I just woke up in the M-mist, then woke up and a-again and found myself h-here.” I was shivering a little bit, scared of what might happen if he believed me.

His eyes widened from his narrowed glare, and the glowing ceased. Instead, a mixed look of awe and terror surfaced on his face as he understood the gravity of my words.

“The Mist,” he muttered, as if not believing it, “the last thing to come out of the Mist was the teleportation discs for the different lands, and that was centuries ago… I wasn’t even alive then.” The Mist was not something to be messed with under any circumstances. It was the cause of the creation of Marchial, and what had brought peace to it in the centuries past.

“Yeah, I may not be from this world, but you could say that I know quite a bit about it.” I wasn’t going to tell him that I was the creator, that would just sound crazy. Even in a world with magic, there were still limits to how much someone would believe out of their normal spectrum of knowledge. “And if we’re going to get any deeper into this, can I suggest either skipping work or talking about it afterwards, and with me clothed. I know it’s not a big deal here, but where I’m from, people just don’t walk around stark nude very often.”

“Yes, perhaps one day wouldn’t hurt… it’s not like our job isn’t voluntary, and any one who saw it could do it I suppose. And let me guess, you don’t want to make your clothes,” He cocked his eyebrow. He knew I had her body, and her body memory, but definitely not her knowledge of sewing. I had never even picked up a needle, let alone tried to sew anything.

“Yeah, that plan is not in my agenda,” I wasn’t sure whether or not we would continue talking informally, or take up the air that most elves do with each other, polite and courteous.

Sighing, he shook his head and began taking a different pathway, “I shall escort you to my house, where you can be clothed and we can talk in peace.” That was at least somewhat formal, but not the maximum level, which meant that he wasn’t going to completely isolate me.

I followed him until we reached a grove of tree houses, obviously where he lived. There was a large oak tree with the water symbol where the door was, and that was the house we had entered. I had been right, he was a water elf, which would made perfect sense. Water and fire, while not compatible as elements, work very well together as personalities. Easygoing water, and easy to enflame fire, they compliment each other.

Entering his house, it was very… elegant and tasteful. Drawings and paintings hung on the walls, depicting ancient battles of the elves against the other main races during the war years. It gave of a sense of fun, showing the owner’s interests as well as making it comfortable and creating a balance between art and history.

Going to his closet, he grabbed a small tunic, well, too small for him, and a pair of leggings. Putting them on, I sat on a soft moss chair, it was very comfortable.

Taking a seat opposite of mine, he looked at me seriously and asked, “What are you?”

Even though I wouldn’t be able to tell him everything, I knew that there were some things I could tell him, “I was human, but not from Marchial, I’m from beyond the Mist.”

“So, do you have any idea why you’re here?” He was taking this surprisingly calm, but something told me that he was just trying to control himself.

“I made a mistake, I broke a promise. The price of that promise was this, and no, Lani is not in my world, that much I’m sure of.” I wasn’t going to let him ask me about that more than necessary, I just hoped he wouldn’t pry too much into things that even I couldn’t explain to him.

He ran his large fingers through his sunny locks, “You, are you a special human, or was this just chance?”

I smirked, “You should know that anything that comes from the Mist is special, whether or not it was created there.”

“Ah, you have me there. Now, will you tell me what you were called when you were a human? I don’t wish to call you by any name other than yours.” My heart sank a bit, the more we talked, the more he slipped into a formal line of speech. It was slow, but it was an obvious descent.

I considered for a moment before answering, “No, I don’t think I will tell you Gregor. It does neither of us any good, and if we are to keep the illusion that I am Lani, then it is best to lower the chance of slip ups.”

He shot out of his seat, knocking it backwards as his eyes seem to burn, “You have no right to be Lani, none whatsoever! I shall not defile my lips be calling you by the name of my beloved when you are not she!”

I sat calmly, though I was shivering on the inside. That was one of the most terrifying moments in my entire life, seeing and elf become angry is a tremendous and terrifying sight. And with their immense power, the chances of anyone other than an elf or a god defeating them is very slim.

“Listen,” I said in a steady voice, “I know you love her, I’m not asking for that love. All I’m asking is that we keep my existence a secret, which I will need your help for. When this comes to and end,” I had no idea if that would ever truly happen, “then I shall tell you all I know, but only then. I have too much knowledge to tell just anyone.” This was the truth, because I probably knew more about the world he lived in than anyone else, save for the High Council, and even then, I knew all the past, all the heroes and villains that existed before the wars ended, because I had created all of them.

He pulled the chair back up and sat down on it, the glow of those gorgeous eyes calming. He was perfect, and yet, there was no chance I could have him. He loved Lani, and no matter how much I looked like her, I wasn’t her. I knew he was thinking about the kiss, and I had to put a stop to that, nothing would change it, and it was by accident.

“Forget what happened this morning, it was no betrayal on your part. And, may I ask your true situation with Lani, because I would hate to portray her as anything less than she was.”

“Is, she still exists, and, well, we have been close since birthing, only ten years apart in age. Now, everyone wants us together, even me, but she persists against it. Why, I do not know. But she is a beauty. Even when she scorches me, she is careful not to cause any permanent damage. And when working, I can see that she is truly and peace among the burning weeds. She has never once betrayed me, and she once told me she cares for me greatly, though she did not explain further than that.”

My heart collapsed, I wanted this guy to love me, he just seemed so perfect. That, if it were me, we could be happy forever. The only problem was that as long as he cared for Lani, until he truly knew her feelings, nothing would change. If only I knew what as in Lani’s mind, I had her body, why not her heart?

“Alright, now Gregor, can you talk to me, please, like you talk to Lani. At least when we’re in public. I don’t want anyone to become confused about our relationship, if I’m to truly act her out.” That was only partially true, I wanted to be Lani as much as possible for him. It didn’t matter that I had just met him, he was perfect, sweet and caring, he was just the elf for me. It never even entered my mind that I wouldn’t be there forever,

“Alright, I will, but you better be damn good at being Lani, or I swear by the Mist-“

“Swear by the Mist and not good shall come of it. I know everything about the Mist, and trust me, you don’t want anything to do with that cursed thing.”

“Well, speaking of which, how much do you know of our culture. I doubt some mere ex-human could know much of our lifestyle if they don’t even belong in this world.” He was trying to show me up, and my image of him shattered. He was angry, yes, but there was no reason to take it out on me.

“Test me on anything concerning Marchial, not just the elves, and I am sure I will pass. Even if it predates even the Ender coming and creating peace between us!” He would not belittle me, I was the reason he existed, and though I would not tell him that, I did not want to seem like some bumbling idiot.

He looked taken aback, as if his strategy had failed, but he wasn’t going to let me go that easily, “Alright, we’ll start slow. What are the five types of elves?”

I rolled my eyes, that was a truly easy question, “Easy: fire, water, wind earth and healer. And healer has two subclasses: mental and physical. You’re water, I’m fire.”

“Alright, now a bit more general question. What is the High Council and how was it formed? Even a babe should be able to answer that,” he had a sparkle in his eye, but at that moment, I mistook it for smugness, instead of what it really was.

“The High Council is Marchial’s ultimate form of guidance. There is one representative from each of the Main Race: Elf, Fairie, Pixie, Troll, Vampire, Werewolf, Human, and Dwarf. It was formed about a millennium ago while the Main Races were still fighting for control over the lands.

“A mysterious orb appeared out of the Mist and traveled to the then empty 7th land. Each race sent their best and brightest after it and for the first time, all eight races came together at once, not to fight, but to fill their curiosity.

“The orb created an image that filled the sky; an image that portrayed how Marchial could be if only there was peace. It showed us living together, not fighting, but laughing, and High Council that resided to keep peace.

“Those eight that were there that day became the first High Council, with one mysterious Head of Council. No one, not even the Council Chairs, know who or what the Head of Council is, but it is known that any who cross the Head of Council shall not last long.

“They convene once a month on the 7th land, and in times of emergency. Among many of their duties, they end threats to the peace, give blessing to children, make appearances at festivals between races and other such occasions.

”The orb itself is called the Ender, because it ended the wars and whenever a crucial decision is made, it gives its final opinion by projecting images.”

Gregor grinned from ear to ear, the smugness gone, “Very good Fake Lani, you are indeed knowledgeable of the basics, though I never heard that the High Council couldn’t make their own decisions, nor do I think anyone else has.”

My eyes widened as I realized my mistake. I used too much of my knowledge to try and show him up, and I had barely even begun describing the intricacies of the world itself.

“So, I ask an answer once again, nothing great, just tell me who you are. That much is what I want, so that I know whom I am dealing with,” he wasn’t going to take no as an answer.

“And what shall you do if I refuse?” I wanted to here how evil he truly was, or if I could call his bluff.

Very femininely, he twirled a lock of his hair as he said in an innocent, “I shall send word to our representative, who will call council, and then they will do with you as they wish.”

I smirked, “The council has no control over me, I know what they crave, and they won’t harm me for that, nor do I think they would even be able to destroy even if they wanted to. Remember, I’m not from this world, so the law’s don’t apply to me.”

“But they do apply to your body,” he pointed out.

I glared at him as he continued to smirk, “I don’t think you want to trifle with me Gregor, I know secrets about the elves that would pale your skin!”

“Then by all means tell them, I have a right to know the truth!” his words expressed challenge, though his eyes showed enjoyment. I finally understood that he wasn’t testing me, he was playing with me, he was treating me like Lani. My whole body tingled at the idea that he was accepting me, as I was, not as Lani.

“No, I don’t I want to, though I shall answer your first questions, if you specify them,” I just hoped that I wouldn’t have to lie to him, I didn’t want to have to lie to those beautiful emerald eyes.

He smirked, thinking he had stumped me, “Your name, your age, who you are as a person. That should be good enough, and anyway to fix this situation.”

“I have no clue as to fix this, but my name is Tamera, or Tammy, as my friends would call me. I am sixteen years old, young by elf standards, still young by human. I had one good friend, and spent most of my time with tales, first reading, then writing them.” I tried to sound as eloquent as possible, imagining the words coming out of my mouth before I even dared speak them, making sure every word was perfect, yet there was still that which I would have changed if I had another chance.

“So, Tammy, what was the promise you broke? It must have been very large if it sent you away from your friend.” He got up and grabbed a pitcher of water and poured a glass, but only one. At first, I thought he was being rude, but then he handed the glass to me, “You must be thirsty after answering my questions and such, and you still have talking to do.”

“Thank you,” I muttered as I took a sip. The water was sweat and the ultimate thirst quencher. “Well, I didn’t even really know that I broke it until I found myself in the Mist. I was supposed to keep this notebook and pen in a bag, but I was so tired that, after finishing my writing, I collapsed from exhaustion. It was an accident, but accident or not, I’m here.”

“Well, where did you get this notebook, do you still have it?” he seemed to be really interested. But then again, if it had to do with getting his Lani back to him, he would do anything, I could tell that when he first said the words ‘beloved’.

I placed the water down before answering, “I got it from this shopkeeper in my world. Her name was Madame Lethur, well, that’s what everyone called her. And yes, I still have it, but I don’t think it’s a good idea if I show it to you. It has knowledge of… of my world, and the information there would cause havoc and destroy this one, that much I do know.”

His eyes widened as I mentioned Lethur, though I did not question it, a big mistake on my part. I find that I made a lot of mistakes during the beginning of my days in Marchial… not to say that I’m not still making mistakes.

Finally speaking, he said, “Alright, but I will have to a least see the outside of it at sometime, it may reveal your way back home.”

“Yes, but that is enough of that for now, I want to enjoy the sites and such for now, can we please loser?” I wanted to see how far I could go with him.

“Oh, you call me a loser, do you? I can tell your intent, even if you speak in another tongue. Speaking of which, how much do you know of our languages?” He converted to Alltongue, the language that was spoken in every land, so that everyone could converse with each other. Most races had their own language, but the humans made it their only one, having a hard enough time understanding one, let alone two.

I answered one word in each of the eight languages, "I can speak all of the tongues Gregor”

His eyes showed that he was impressed, “And I suppose it would do me no good to ask how you know so much?” he cocked an eyebrow.

“None whatsoever. I can only reveal so much in one day, and you have pushed me to my limits,” he wasn’t getting anymore out of me, not that day, not until I was readjusted and my buzz of starting a new life faded.

“Alright Tammy… that’s a strange name. What is with you humans and naming anyways?”

“Well, excuse us, naming is a cultural thing, and we can’t all be as ‘graceful’ and ‘elegant’ in naming as elves now can we?” I stuck my tongue at him, something that I would never have expected and elf to do, even if I was controlling her body.

His eyes glowed as he flicked his hand and sent the remaining water straight into my face, “Well, not all humans, but you seem to be the exception my dear.”

“Oh, you’re going to pay for that!” I chuckled as my eyes tried to glow and a flicker appeared on my fingers, only to spark out.

Gregor began to chuckle, “Seems you forgot what happens when you fire elves become wet.”

My eyes’ glow simmered down and I took a deep breath before pouncing on him and punching him in the chest. I would never hit that face, it was too gorgeous for anyone to even think of maiming.

“Ow, Tammy! Stop it!” he jokingly begged as I continued to punch him. I had never had such power before, or even been able to cause any damage. Just a weak little girl filling out her fantasies by reading. But in this world, I thought I could live out all those adventures I had been dreaming of, every last one.

Finally tired of swinging my arms at him and causing minimal damage, I may have strength, but he had a very good defense system, I fell down on top of him, and relaxed. I didn’t even care that it was someone, it was warm and comfy, and that was all that mattered.

“Um, Tammy?” Gregor questioned as he tried to push me off of hi, but I didn’t really care. Nothing was getting me off of him. “Tammy, I swear, if you don’t get off of me right now I’m going to splash you!”

“You wouldn’t dare,” I murmured into his chest. I was slowly loosing consciousness, though I didn’t really care. I had gone through so much, even if it didn’t seem like I had only woken an hour or two ago.

I don’t remember what happened after I fell asleep, except that a pair of arms wrapped around me and I heard a sigh of defeat: it was like the perfect lullaby.

* * *

I woke up to darkness. My eyes quickly adjusted and I saw that I was in the room I had woken up in that morning. I looked around for Gregor, but he wasn’t there. My logic told me he had carried me back here then left me alone once he saw I was alright. I couldn’t help but want him there, he was so nice. He was funny, and cute, and sweet, and a bit obnoxious, but in a funny way, much better than Drey.

And it was that one name that brought me back to what was happening. I was in a place I didn’t belong, in a body that didn’t belong to me. I might never see Melissa or my dad again. I wouldn’t graduate high school, or get a boyfriend, or a job or any of the things that I had expected to do with my life. Everything changed because of that stupid book.

I was tempted at that moment to take the book and throw it out the window if I got my hands on it, but I didn’t even move to find it. I just wanted to be back where things were normal, where I could be myself, and where things made sense. Magic was fine and good, but it wasn’t supposed to exist! That’s why there were stories about it, fictional, as in not real.

As all these thoughts were running through my head, I didn’t even notice that I had begun to cry. It was only when my cheeks were soaked did a reach my hand up to discover the strands of nonstop tears streaming down my cheeks.

I brought my knees to my chest and rocked back and forth, replaying my favorite memories over and over, seeing the smiles, the laughter, a good grade in English, that moment I first held the pen.

Then my mind went to my mother, who I wanted more than anything. She had been gone for four years, and I still wanted her back. She was perfect, pretty, smart, nice. She never scolded me, only encouraged me to do my best. I just wanted to make her happy, but she wasn’t there anymore, so I couldn’t do that.

I never believed in heaven, not then, and not now. I am a firm believer of reincarnation, so everyday, I would pray that Mom would be reincarnated and give birth to me again when it was my time. I wanted to be with her that badly.

The memory though, what I remembered about her was something so small, so trivial, most people would wonder why I even bothered remembering it.

I was five and wanted to make a Father’s Day breakfast for my Dad, so I woke up early. I was too short to reach anything without a stool, so I grabbed a chair and stood on it as I did my best to copy what I had watched my mom do every morning.

I ended up setting off the fire alarm and waking up my parents at 6 o’clock in the morning. I was yelled at by "Daddy Dearest" but not Mom. She didn’t say anything. She just picked me up and together we started cleaning up my mess.

She didn’t try to comfort me, or scold me, she just showed me how to fix the mess I had created and smiled. That was her way, doing, not saying. She always treated people kindly, though said little to them.

The last bit, the bit of her smiling, I focused in on that thought and nothing else. I wanted to imagine that smile in my mind, burn it there, never leaving me so that I could always have her face in my mind.

Everyone said I looked like her, except for her hair. She had the most beautiful brown waves of hair that have ever been seen. Sure, I could change my hair to match hers, but I didn’t want to be a copy of my mom, because no matter what I did, nothing would bring her back.

As time has gone by, that image is still in my mind, the strongest memory I have, and it has kept me from despair many a time. I don’t think I loved anyone as much as I loved my mom, because she was simply a sweet person who cared for everything and everyone, whether big or small, poor or rich.

I know I’m making her out to be a saint, but she wasn’t. She had her flaws, but in my mind, she could do no wrong. I was only with her for twelve years, and most of them I never spent really paying attention to her. When I finally started learning why I loved her, and hearing her stories about her life, she disappeared. The only thing left were those stories, they were my connection to them, so I grabbed on hard and did my best to enjoy them.

If I really thought about it, I would have realized that without my mom having died, I probably wouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place. I wouldn’t have been obsessed with fantasy if she hadn’t died, wouldn’t have spent a good portion of my weekends trying to connect with my mother, being someone that could be compared to her, that someone could truly say that I was her daughter.

When I could finally cry no more, I rubbed my eyes and wrapped myself in the mossy blanket upon the bed. It was strange, soft and comfortable, but still strange to use. Once again, I found myself exhausted and passing out.

I had no idea what time it was, only that it was nighttime, and that there was no one I could go to, not even Gregor unless I wanted to chance disturbing his slumber. I was by myself, and that was the second to last thought in my mind before I slept.

The last thought I had was of a woman smiling at her five year-old daughter.