Their Prophecy

Report

Squad Leader Nolan was crouched on a branch just above a silver-haired Carp shifter who had marched all the way out to the middle of the woods to stand in one spot and wait. She kept looking skyward which was expected for these trips which was why he made it a point to remain close to the trunk of a pine tree, carefully positioned behind a fuller branch, carefully out of sight.

King Xavier Rosario had placed him in charge of tailing the girl. He felt certain that the King wanted to make sure she was successfully passing the intel he'd planted back to her master.

It was an easy enough task.

Until recently.

This was day three, stationed in the same exact spot, and the bird shifter hadn't shown.

Nolan wondered if that meant the messenger was dead. He thought that didn't make much sense though. King Rosario wanted the information passed so there's no reason for him to intervene. Also, even if something happened to that messenger, wouldn't the Jung Empire just send a new one in their stead?

Turning about, Raza looked frustrated, uncertain. She probably thought she'd been abandoned by her master. Nolan, watching carefully from his crouch, was starting to think so too.

And that was problematic for him.

If the messages weren't going through, King Rosario would want to know immediately.

After nearly an hour of crouching, waiting, with no sign of anyone else arriving, he watched Raza give up. Standing, she'd brushed herself off, and headed back toward the refugee encampment to handle her set of tasks for the day.

Gritting his teeth, Nolan knew he couldn't very well just go back without making a report.

It would have to be in person.

To a merciless King.

He could remember the blase expression the Pureblood had worn as he'd lifted Nolan by his throat.

It was nothing for a creature like King Rosario to kill an elf. Or a shifter. Or human. Or anything that stood in his way.

Any encounter with him was a dangerous one.

That's why the elf had been trying to put it off as long as possible.

Any more days without reporting an issue, though, would probably just put him in even more peril.

Taking off through the trees, headed toward the Rosario Estate, he tried not to feel bothered by the curious gaze of the large jaguar lazing on the tree at the edge of the woods with a besotted fairy lying across it's back, or to feel frazzled when he'd climbed the roof toward the King's study window and an alarm rang out.

Halting just feet from his goal, Nolan had no time to react as a creature closed in on him fast. He was slammed down against the tile with such force that, when the stars began to clear from his vision, he was confused to see that he'd been pinned by a girl that looked no older than four. Her foot pressed to his throat was crushing, and he clutched her small ankle, shocked that he couldn't simply pick her small form up.

"Leave him," Xavier said calmly over the sound of the screaming alarms, beckoning the small girl back to him. From what Nolan could see, he was still seated at his desk and hadn't so much as lifted a finger to thwart the girls violent attack.

The girl removed her foot, glancing back at King Rosario. "Friendly?"

"Mhm," he said, tapping his pen distractedly down against the map he was looking at.

With ragged breathing, the elf managed to stumble back to his feet, touching his neck, his chest. Thankfully there were no major damage but, glancing down at the roof where he'd landed, the tiles had not been left quite so unscathed.

"Hello," the little girl said, offering her hand. "I'm Analise."

What? Introductions?

Clearing his throat, flustered, the elf took her hand, aware that refusing the young Pureblood probably wasn't in his best interest. "My name is Nolan."

"Nolan," she echoed back, dragging him toward the window. "Cool." He stumbled along after her--as if he had any choice--confused. He'd thought she'd wanted a handshake, not to drag him across the roof. "Watch your step," Ana said, clambering into the window with practiced movements. He followed, albeit less gracefully, barely making it through the opening before the girl slammed the window shut, successfully silencing the alarm.

Breathless, Nolan saw that Xavier was now glaring up at him and, recalling his already precarious situation, hit a careful salute. "Sir, this is Squad Leader Nolan reporting for--"

"Get to the point," Xavier cut in, giving a small wave as if to shoo away any formalities. Glancing pointedly toward the little girl, now standing directly next to him with a shameless look of curiosity, Nolan gave a wary look to the King who just tapped his pen. "Well?"

Should he say it in code? Why was a child privy to this conversation? Nolan wasn't sure but he did know that Purebloods were odd creatures with odd traditions so he knew better than to ask outright. Instead, he chose to just keep it vague. "The messenger has stopped showing up to retrieve the intel."

"When?"

"This is day three of failed correspondence," the elf reported.

There was silence aside from the light tapping of the King's pen.

Nolan carefully kept his eyes focused to the floor but couldn't just ignore the tug at the side of his pant leg. It was the little girl, staring up at him with wide blue eyes, her blonde curls making her look deceivingly innocent. Somehow, knowing she could easily crush him made the way she gave small, curious tugs to his pants all the more nerve-wracking. "Um," he mumbled, eyes lifting to the Pureblood King who was now watching him and back to the girl who's tugs were growing less patient, "Yes?"

"You're a warrior elf," she stated.

Who is this girl? "Yes."

"Rank?" she asked.

Oh. Why? "Squad Leader of twelfth battallion."

"Are you good at fighting?" Nolan felt at a loss at that question. Why would she ask that after just brutally knocking him down onto his ass just moments ago? Was she trying to mock him? "Techniques," she said as if to clarify the question, raising her little fists. "Weapons?"

Maybe she was just curious about elves? "I excel at both," Nolan admitted.

There was a shine in the girls eyes. "You can teach me, then."

Wait, what? "I couldn't possibly--"

"You can teach her then." Deeper, terrifying, King Rosario was looking directly at Nolan now.

The elf quickly understood that this wasn't a request. He had no choice in the matter at all.

"You can, right?" the girl pushed, smiling sweetly up at him.

Nolan glanced between the two Purebloods, one small and shining with hope, the other menacing and making it clear that there was only one right answer. Anxiously, he conceded with a nod, hearing the little girls' excited squeal.

At least one of them was happy about this new arrangement.