Chapter 21: 21 – Interrogation

“I knew it! You’re also after my forest! Simple creature, do you want to feel my ire?!” Her vines rattled as they moved to surround him.

X let go and turned around.

“You followed me?”

The dryad glared at X, her eyes already skinning him, ready to let him rot, hanged upside down to whatever tree branch she felt like it.

“Holy-! Calm down, I’ve done nothing to this flower.” He remembered. “Yeah, that’s right. This is not even your forest, yours ends there. On the other side of the main road, you told me.”

“You fucking strange lanky shit gave me odd vibes back there. I don’t trust you one bit and I was right. You know what happens when people disrespect nature?”

“A freaky mutant comes out and starts murdering people in whatever name it thinks of that day. And I mean it when I say this: you should get free of your shackles. You want to murder, do it, you’re good at it. Stop holding yourself down.”

She cracked a nervous smile, then back into business mode.

“Can anyone of you, lower creatures, respect nature? Is it that hard?”

“Tell me something. Is this also your forest or not?”

Her stern gesture twisted in discomfort caused by hard questions of consciousness. If she had any. Simple questions she had not been able to answer to herself, she didn’t answer this time either.

“You’ve got serious problems, least of all your flip-flopping personality. This is a simple matter. If this is also your forest I will leave as I came, in peace. If it’s not, then why are you here?”

Again, silence glared right back at him. She sure had her extenuating circumstances of which X didn’t care about one bit. Both stood looking at each other, X out of exhaustion and the dryad in growing exasperation. He was about to voice his apathy when she spoke first.

“Well, I can’t fucking protect the whole world, can I? Can I?!”

“And here I was wondering what this confused bestial act was all about. Good to f-freaking see the real you. Don’t lose yourself, it’s kinda tasteless. And I do repeat myself but, why are you here?”

She kept quiet. Fuck it, X wanted to say but couldn't even think about it. He backed off and walked on his own path. The dryad followed him. He stopped and turned around.

“Jeez... Are you going to follow me all the way? I know I’m good looking but you're not my type. Wait. Wrong. You are kinda my type of crazy, but to be honest, I don’t know what sort of ailments and diseases you creatures carry and irresponsibly share, so... you’ll have to wait till I figure it out.”

[Oh, but you freely mated with the blond girl back there, in Saint Jaulea.]

She seemed human enough... at least all the parts that needed to be.

[Human enough? Nice standard.]

She raised her eyebrows, barely moving her lips apart but remained silent. He tried to figure out the strange creature before him. And if there was something X did enjoy, it was messing with people, or in this case, speaking creatures. 

Though he knew he toyed death with each spoken word, something about the beast before him bothered him. Maybe her hypocritical nature, her self-censorship, or her absurd rules.

No, not any of those. 

He sat beside another flower, delicate, lonely. He took his fingers around its stem. The dryad tensed.

“What a beautiful flower. A shame this one has no scent, well, they can’t all be perfect. Can’t fault this... small, delicate... Such an effort to grow and thrive. Between my fingers it feels... fragile, a mere wind could break it.”

She gritted her teeth. Vines rose around X, pointing their sharp edges towards him.

“Hey you overgrown plant, play fair! This isn’t your forest, and I haven’t done anything to your sister.”

The vines surrounding him jittered.

“I have a question though... if I slowly defile this flower... You’d be powerless? Or you’d cut me down right where I stand?”

Thoughts formed and words soon followed.

“I... this is... not my forest...”

“Then again, why are you here?”

No answer.

“Maybe I’ll crush it under my foot.”

“It’s a promise I made to myself. I... I fucking can’t.” 

“Or twist it till it pops...”

“I need clearly defined boundaries or else...” 

A faint grin grew on X’s mouth, mesmerized by the ignominious creature before him, fighting against herself, a battle she always lost for sure. But still tried.

“Or else... I’ll... You don’t even fucking dare to-“

X interrupted her exposition of madness.

“Perhaps you prefer fire?”

He reached into his bag looking for a match.

“Argghh! I’ll fucking skin you and leave you to dry if you do something to this innocent flower!”

Vines crept into a threatening pose, ready to attack, her maddened face treaded on the edge, anything would set her off. X left the flower alone.

“How quickly you break your own promises! Bodes well to your freaky self. Oh yeah, and everything I said about defiling this flower was purely theoretical. I’m a natures’ boy all things considered.”

“The fuck are you parroting on about?!”

“Strange creatures deserve strange treatment. That’s my motto.”

“I might’ve killed you. I might still do.” Finger on the trigger, vines ready to butcher on command. “You numbed my mind... you’d better tread with care, my vines have your number. Or you’ll make me responsible for what happens to you?”

His face equally mixed disgust plus contempt. He found what had been bothering him. Her tasteless act.

“You want to lie to the world, do it. But why would you lie to yourself? Whatever, I got my answer. You get yours, or never do, who cares.”

She only stared back, her vines still up, targeting him.

“What about your word... beast? I haven’t done anything, and I don’t plan on doing anything... to your forest, or whatever this is to you.”

“I’m on the edge and you keep stepping all over my grass.”

For a brief moment X’s pulse got faster, he looked down but only saw soil.

“Decent use of language shows a higher level of abstraction, not bad for a talking plant.”

He laid down over raw soil, eyes closed, breathing calmly. Night had fallen. 

“And good thing this is not your forest, and I haven’t hurt any greenery. Now go away, I’m going to rest, or don’t. Sing a song or something. That’s what you beasts are good for aren’t you? Come on, show off your skills in this cool night... entertain your guest, jump, dance... You can do something other than killing, right? I mean, even the most modest of flowers can-”

He opened his eyes, the dryad was gone.

“Ah... I can finally get some rest...” 

[She could easily cut you up. Are you looking for the easy way out?]

“Freaking monster... She can but she won’t. Wanna know why?”

[Illuminate me oh... freak one. Why?]

“She has this screwed up sense of justice and a list of self-rules she won’t deviate from. Because if she does... or to be precise, the day she does, her whole world crumbles. I’ve known people like her, freaking murderers, torturers... all kinds of sanguinary characters with a sense of honor. Really! Can you believe that?! Freaking garbage thinking they are righteous murderers, torturers and rapists.”

[And you don’t?]

“I keep it real. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. At least not to myself... unlike her.”

[You hate her because she somehow tries, in a fucked-up way, to retain more decency than you. The humanity you lost somewhere along the way.]

“Never said I hated her. But nature’s protector...? Yeah right... She should just freaking kill anyone who looks her wrong. I’d respect her then. And what humanity do you speak of? I’m a beast now...”

“You’ve always been.”

X chuckled.

“Now let me sleep.”

A nearby bird’s chirp and warm morning rays woke him up. He slowly sat up and looked around. She was nowhere to be seen. He brought out a piece of bread for breakfast, took a small bite and continued strolling along the main road. After his experience at Saint Jaulea he decided to skip human towns entirely. Going by what the dryad told him the elven town should be nearby.

He walked most of the morning, his pillaged reserves dwindled, and his pace reduced to a crawl. The main road forked a few times along its path with signs indicating the way to other towns while carriages became more frequent.  He stayed along the main one and after passing a couple hills elven Silifran appeared on top of a gentle slope.

Midday had arrived and with little to no protection from the scorching heat X plodded on. Like Saint Jaulea, Silifran was a border town and tall walls surrounded it, towers were evenly spread along its perimeter. The large gates stood out from far away, framed by ambiguous statues, half-monster and half-humanoid, at each side. And beyond it, dozens of houses organized in neat blocks ran uphill with a castle, reflecting the midday sun’s light and shining with an emerald glint, at the top.

“Look at that...”

Lined up against the city’s wall, many creatures awaited to enter Silifran. Carriages got in through the main gate while individuals used a secondary, smaller one. As X got near, the entrance became lively with all kinds of creatures, some he had seen before, others new. Most seemed tame or tamed at least. Apart from sentries and soldiers, few beings were equipped for battle. City soldiers wore distinctive metal plated armors covering their upper torso, hips, shoulders, neck, pelvis area and a pair of long boots, on top of black leather. It blended a layered down style with sharp patterns. Some wore helmets while others simple circlets, but the metal parts were interwoven with fine golden embroidery and edged by silver threads. 

X recognized the long ears. Elves. 

He sat under a small tree, a prudent distance away from the small creature gate, watching beings going in and out. Strange beasts, not horse-like entities, pulled carriages around these parts. He had seen some of those from afar before, but up close and personal these looked more savage, teeth protruding out, yellow reptile like eyes, bodies covered with scales, fur or armor. Monstrous. 

Natural meat grinders.

[Do you have to look at everything through a violence lens?]

X didn’t answer. A dusk sun appeared in the horizon, a temperate breeze blew upwind through the hills cooling his thoughts. He extended his legs, enjoying a nice autumn evening in a strange, fucked up world while looking at the busy entrance. After a couple of hours two soldiers approached. 

“Stand up!”

With an improvised turban around his head hiding his ears and his vagabond looks, his fellow elves didn’t suspect of their shared heritage.

“No vagrancy allowed in the city’s outskirts.”

He looked up, the tall soldiers blocked the red colored sun’s last rays. Their semblance revealed a serious tone with shades of arrogance. He kept sitting.

“We said, stand up!”

A male soldier grabbed his arm and lifted him up.

Energy saved.

“Another vagabond.”

Dirty, smelling like a mixture of sweat and garbage, and wearing rags, X took offense at the soldier's prejudice. 

Nah, I might seem like one... but no. No.

[Seem? You are a hobo.]

“Shut up!”

He said aloud.

“What did you say?!”

“We’ve got a live one!”

“Take him inside.”

“You’ll repent... soon enough.”

He didn’t interrupt their monologue, the one-way discourse of authority seemed well developed in all realms and all planets. The two soldiers dragged him inside the city, into an interrogation room. They shoved him around until they sat him at a questioning table.

This brings me memories...

Soon after, a female elf, one of those without helmet, came in. The two soldiers talked in an unknown language to their superior. X looked at her graceful face.

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Is this a race of pretty things?

“Another vagrant...”

She sat opposite to him. 

“Papers.”

X kept looking at her.

“Does he understand?” 

She said looking at the other two. They shrugged. She stood up and approached him, slapping a hand over the table.

“You look as you smell.” 

A repulsed gesture disfigured her fine features. 

“Are you going to give us trouble? Here in Silifran we have clear rules.” 

Ufff... she smells so fine.

[You want some?]

Don’t you?

“Hey you, listen up! Do you want a fast entrance into the dungeons?”

As enticing as that sounded, X had other plans.

“I was robbed on the road, bandits, a whole lot of them.”

“You speak... How many days ago?”

“Three... four... I think.”

“We got the report. A mixed-human caravan was assaulted. Were you with them?”

“No. I was walking by when it happened, and they assaulted me too.”

“Mhmm... And you are?”

“X.”

“Ekk’s?”

He nodded.

“Strange name... No papers, vagrancy, and a suspicious behavior.”

She looked at his half-revealed face trying to read him.

“You look... too emaciated... What race are you? Where are you from? And you better don’t lie to us, or it can get ugly, real quick.”

He uncovered his head. His pointy ears plopped out.

“Is this how you treat a-?” 

“Oh- Sir we beg your pardon!”

“Excuse us!”

The three soldiers’ attitude quickly changed. X hadn’t expected this reaction.

“Judis lak’ai delle ando! Fash seu’ri ogun h’ara.”

Again, some strange vociferations, their mouths moved but made no sense at all.

“Ihiso salin’au dou laer oklus?”

The female elf soldier looked at X awaiting a response.

“Eh?”

“Fuia sha’k tris’ouhen kas icsadi dfoiu’ju ghastaka orew. Ibid ji’xau la poas’he sum j’oas ihf?”

“Wait, wait... eh... My head’s dizzy... I got bashed bad... and... elven language... Can you speak-?”

“Lennel!”

“Yes, commander?”

“Bring our fellow elf a cup of daess.”

“Yes commander.”

“Again, I’m sorry for our rude treatment, we didn’t think you... Sir, you know how things are here in Silifran with all the other races... It’s not a good time. Border skirmishes, rising criminality... and the political quake brought on by Saint Jaulea’s chaotic aftermath... to say the least.”

X smiled to himself, she was excusing herself before him. It had been a one hundred eighty degrees reversal of attitude.

“But you must be well aware of all that, sir. Most important, are you alright? What happened?”

“Those... monstrous speaking creatures-”

“Indeed, the report talked about human bandits.”

“Of course.” 

“Attacking even their own...”

“It was a mixed caravan. You’d think every human hates us but it’s not like that. Regardless, some in the caravan were human... but the bandits butchered them all the same.”

“Everyone's on edge, especially these days.... since Saint Jaulea... Here’s your daess sir.”

Lennel left a steaming cup with a faintly glowing liquid on the table. A foul smell distorted X’s face. 

Yeah... no.

“Those bandits bashed my head and left me for dead.”

“Is this why half your face is covered?”

 “Exactly. It all happened so fast... And all because my... niece is sick, and I was bringing... medicine and some gifts to cheer her up. When I woke up, the caravan... God...s ... And I lost everything... Those thieves! My papers are the least of my problems. And now I’m treated as a vagrant by my fellow... elves.” 

“Sir, your state... We take responsibility for our disrespectful behavior.”

The three soldiers bowed their heads down. X grinned.

“I understand... it’s a mad world we’re living in right now. You never know what kind of demented beast, I mean, thing- living thing you’d cross paths with.”

“You don’t have to hide it sir.”

“What?” His heart skipped a beat.

“Those beasts you talk about, the other races, filthy, uneducated... criminal. Between us, they should’ve never been allowed in Silifran.”

“Exactly. Every single one of yo- er... the other races out there... They send shivers down my spine. Specially the... furry ones.”

“Feralis?”

“Yes, yes!”

“You leave them alone for a day and next day, they’d multiplied already!”

“How they do it? 

“It’s a tricky business, that’s for certain,” Lennel interjected.

“Oh, you know?” the female commander asked faking her surprise.

“I’ve heard...”

“Sure you have. Sometimes your preferences disturb me. Anyway, feralis is the worst race we’ve got here. They can’t stop reproducing and can’t be molded into decent citizens. We elves are too good for them.”

“But at least with feralis you know where they stand. From them on, it’s bottom of the barrel all way down.” 

“Ufff... let’s not go there and let’s give thanks we aren’t posted to Fildereal. They do have it rough, I couldn't work with all those dregs around me... Ugh.”

X nodded along their conversation.

“Guhas jal’is ouwk isk.”

They nonchalantly began speaking in their language. 

“Awo’us kajiow jekosi kisau’iw jasai. Ojus jekeis jo’jiasi juaisai.”

X kept to himself till they spoke human again.

“We will accompany you to your niece’s house, good sir.”

“Looking like this? You want her to die from consternation? First, I’m going to take a bath, get some clothes and fix my situation. Then... I’ll go visit her.”

“Of course, Ekk’s sir.”

“The best bathhouse is still Duissian’s, she’ll treat you like you deserve. Try and get a well-deserved rest. And about your recent incident...”

“Those darn bandits!”

“They dare rob and hurt an elf! They’ll pay!”

“Please be more careful from now on Ekk’s, sir. Silifran and its surroundings aren’t what they used to be. Humans... feralis, all lesser races.... ahem. Our... difficult allies... allies that just won’t learn.”

“We’re drowned in savagery commander.”

“Nonetheless, we promise we’ll find the ones responsible sir.”

“Good... I don’t expect less... from all of you. Don’t fail... our great city.”

“We will find them and bring them to justice.”

X stood up but before he could cross the door Lennel stopped him.

“Sir you haven’t drank your daess.”

“Eh... oh, of course.”

Without thinking it twice X gulped down his warm and steaming daess.

“Crazy delicious.”

He felt sick. 

What kind of foul concoctions do these beasts consume? Not even of the good, bizarre ones that let you explore places or see pretty things or-

The daess threatened to come back out. Somehow, he managed to keep it inside.

And like that, he was released into Silifran’s streets.

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