Lina: Twisted Fairy Tales Book Two

7: A Duel

I was blown off my feet.

My only small consolation was that the Erl King was blasted back as well.

Just not as hard nor violently as me.

He managed to land in a semi-awkward crouch, whereas I was thrown to the forest floor on my back, the wind being knocked from my chest. The Erl King straightened with that evil corpse’s grin and began to advance again while I struggled to regain control of my body.

I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t drag any air into my lungs. For wild moments my mind insisted I was dying. I forced myself into a crouch.

I knew better. I’d had the wind knocked from me before. But each time, it was just as terrifying. Each time the mind believed one was dying.

My lungs refused to drag in air as the Erl King charged again. This time he brought a leg around to knee me in the gut. Oh, foul move.

I didn’t bother to try to dodge, just let myself fall back to the ground. My ears were ringing as I landed, lungs now screaming in agony as my muscles heaved and bucked, trying to remember the proper way to draw breath. Sparks danced across my vision as I lunged, and just before I impacted with the Erl King again, my lungs let in a great woosh of air that tasted sweeter than any air I’d ever breathed. Even as my lungs forced it out so they could drag fresh air in, I thought I’d never had any sweeter.

That is, until the second breath was tainted by the Earl King’s scent.

I had expected the scent of death. Rot. Decay. He looked like a corpse, after all, surely he should smell like one. What I got instead was the smell of dirt after a rain mingled with fresh growing things. What I got was forest, and my body recognized it as home, relaxing into the smell in an open act of betrayal towards me.

I still managed to drive my open palm against his chin, knocking his head back. He staggered backwards a few steps as his teeth clacked together and I internally rejoiced. Until his head snapped forward again to offer me that malicious corpse’s grin. He had his arm pulled back before I could see it. I tried to turn out of its path, but the resounding strike knocked me backwards so far, I thought I might hit a tree.

But no, the Erl King was simultaneously too cruel and not cruel enough for that.

With an eerie flash of blue light, he was behind me, catching me around the ribs.. My nude body pressed entirely against the front of his armor-clad and half-rotted one. Instinctively, I recoiled, even as my senses were swamped with the heady sense of fresh forest growth while strong arms cradled me.

“Do you yield?” He hissed by my ear. I used my head to knock him in the face, feeling the dizzy swoop as he dropped me and my own brain reeled from the contact. I landed on all fours and skittered away, spinning about to face him as swiftly as possible.

“Does that answer your quest-” My sarcastic reply died as I noticed he’d disappeared on me again. I bolted to my feet, turning slowly.

“The problem with your kind, well any mortals really-” The Erl King’s voice echoed all around me. I couldn’t see him, and so couldn’t prepare for the attack I couldn’t see. So I did the next best thing. Thunder boomed ominously overhead as I turned in place again. “When facing the folk..” His voice was close, taunting, but still seemed almost directionless. I could feel the charge building in the air. All the small hairs stood up on my body in a combination of fear and a building of power. “Is you never look up.” Spat the Erl King, dropping down on me from above. At the same time, I called the lightning.

His iridescent wings were out and the closest thing to the sky.

They were the first thing the lightning touched.

He arched backwards with a roar of pain and the scent of burning hit me. But then he was driving me to the ground, all his weight landing on my torso and shoulders.

I hit the ground on my back, and for the second time the breath was driven from me as the Erl King’s full weight dropped atop me. He slammed a fist into the ground beside my head, cursing, even as I gaped and bucked, trying to draw a breath into a body that had forgotten yet again how to breathe.

I had the irrational panicked thought that the only reason I couldn’t breathe was because the Fae King was crushing me. So I fought harder to free myself, flailing and beating at him, trying to win space for my air. He cursed again and grabbed my arms, securing both wrists in one ridiculously strong hand. He pulled back with the other hand and knocked me in the side of the head hard enough that the world around me faded to black.

I woke in my ‘assigned living quarters’ from a dream. My mother had been telling me stories of the Hunt, and my first instinct was anger when my eyes snapped open, but it quickly led to tears. I rolled over in the bed, burying my face in the pillow to hide them. I refused to show weakness. Especially to the evil bastard currently holding me captive.

A gentle hand began running through my hair. Petting me, stroking, almost like one would a cat, while I cried silently. I stiffened, trying to stem the flow of tears.

“I am sorry.” A sweetly seductive and genuinely repentant voice murmured. I stiffened even further. “Dealing with me in that other form.. Sometimes it’s a bit much. I take on all the power in the Realm, let it flow through me. It can make me a bit..”

“Of a self-entitled prick?” I offered, my voice muffled by the pillow. There was a soft chuckle.

“Head-strong. Power–drunk.. Those would have been my choice of words.” The Fae King’s voice was full of amusement, and his hand moved to rub my back. It was a comforting, gentle warmth that reminded me of home. I had to force myself to steel myself against it. “I’d prefer you left my ‘prick’ out of this. Unless you’re extolling its virtues. But seeing as I haven’t introduced you to it yet..” He trailed off almost wistfully, and I found myself offering a haughty scoff. He couldn’t be serious right now. Talking about his own c**k that way, and what’s more, as if I’d let it anywhere near me after what he’d just done.

“Is that an invitation?” I retorted scornfully, shoving myself up and away from the Erl King.

“Would you like it to be? There was something almost.. hopeful.. in his voice.

“I’d like to introduce your genitals to my foot. Repeatedly. And go home. Not necessarily in that order.” I huffed, crossing my arms as I stood.

“Oooh. I had no idea you had such inclinations.. So intriguing these fetishes.” The Fae King teased.

“I meant.. To be kicking..” I sputtered myself into silence, gaping. I honestly had no clue how to handle his insane coquettish behavior. Well, any of his behavior, really. It wasn’t that I was sheltered, per se, it’s just that.. My parents hadn’t felt it necessary to toss me out into the world of men. They weren’t like other Kings and Queens, trying to sell me off. Excuse me, ‘marry’ me off for some political or strategic alliance. Papa was of the opinion that my Shifter side would lead me to love more than anything, not that I had a destined ‘other’, but that it would somehow tip me off to potential good matches. So it would be a travesty to marry me off, only for me to find someone else my Shifter side too a liking to. Mother on the other hand, being fiercely independent herself, was just determined I get to make my own choices, bless her.

But it didn’t stop them from educating me. Yes, both of them. Apparently, Shifter drives could be..unique.  And mother wanted me to be knowledgeable about how my body, well the human part, and the other less human sides, might work as well. Plus I heard talk. You always hear talk. However, had someone been so bold as to blatantly throw lewd comments at me? Well, let’s just say having a giant wolf at your shoulder discourages a lot of people.

“Ah, I’ve rendered you speechless. Delightful!” The Fae King’s eyes twinkled with barely suppressed mirth. He acted as though none of our previous encounter had happened, and this was just normal, tease.

“What is wrong with you?” I whispered, and the Fae King rose from the bed, pacing across the room. His expression fell into what I could only call a deep melancholy. He ran his hand through his hair.

“So, so much.” He murmured almost sadly, pausing to look out the window. “So much.”