Friend Request

The white orb floated in space and became a torch substitute without smoke. Easy to use, simple to create. Lanert let Alice build one early.

Horse nighing broke the silence of the night. After many hours, they came to the forest. The horse didn't want to go there at night. Lanert and Alice must continue on foot.

Lanert jumped down from his black equine and let Alice tie their steeds to nearby trees.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Lanert nodded. "I already said yes." They journey into the forest. When he decided something, it was almost impossible for anyone to alter it.

Lanert pulled his mink coat, admiring a thousand stars brimming milky way on a night canvas concealing a mystery of time.

There were no ghosts, no wolves, or tigers in the forest. He dismissed the fear of the mysterious dark forest.

If not for Gurken and Element, Lanert would spend his night in his room and reading a new book he bought early.

He trusts Alice and Acerose for safety. Acerose is a slim silver rapier. Sharper than a tungsten needle, poisonous than Oxyuranus Microlepidotus viper. It never snapped and happily penetrated anything. One stab and the heart beat no more.

"It's not late to return." Alice ensured the orb stayed faithful to duty, floated beside them, and illuminated a humus path. "What happens? You've never been so reckless."

"Nah, it's nothing. He is in trouble and needs help."

Two steps behind Alice, Lanert carefully chose where his feet would land on a path pulverized with crisp dead leaves. "Besides, Gurken is waiting for us. If we turn, he would be mad." 

"Let him be. You graduated. You never meet him again," Alice held on to her Winter, a cobalt-made Falchion, long narrow blade, interlaced decoration with an emblem of snow carved on its hilt. Winter had a pure milk color, equal to Alice's skin. 

"That is not what friends do to friends. He had something that I wanted."

Gurken words whirl in Lanert's ears. For fifteen years, he sought elements and got nothing. He would not let this opportunity slip away. Who knows what fate awaits him? 

"Orcs never do a Magi, let alone Elements." Alice peeked over her shoulder. "He's up for something."

"He's our friend. He had no reason to do bad to us."

"We can't read his mind."

"Let's find out." 

Alice was right. But, Lanert trusts his friend more than anything. 

"If he dares do something funny, let me give him something he will never forget." Alice cited while squeezing her sword tilt.

"You do what you must do, my friend." 

Lanert knew Alice never harmed their friend. She was bluffing. 

After a few hours of walking, they came to Cove of Pearl. The hillside cavity kindled—a shadow danced on the inner wall of the cove. The last time Lanert came here, was autumn. He and his friends gathered mushrooms and camped together with booze. The cave was no stranger to him. But, he never came here at night. Without a sun, it felt... Different.

"What took you so long, Dawg? " Gurken guffawed and welcomed Lanert with a bear hug.

"Sorry, we are late."

Gurken snitched a gaze at Alice. "Why bring Damsel here?"

Lanert answered before Alice could respond. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Not here, Dawg. Let us go inside."

"Scared of wolves?" Alice mocked.

"Yeah, the wolf with swords and shield." Gurken worried about something. Anything that scared him must be dangerous. 

Flambeau welcomed them inside the natural moss grip. Lanert and Alice put their mink coats on natural stone as they studied the interior. 

Alice sauntered to every corner of the fast mysterious cave. No dagger was hidden there. She made sure no one was there while two males exchanged leisurely words.

Lanert studied everything inside the cave. Pentagram painted in stone beside a strange box filled with the unknown. Gurken must prepare a ritual. But why? He didn't care about Magi, let alone do a Magi.

"So, what is it?" Lanert enthusiasm grew.

"It's about my problem, Dawg. Let me explain. Life as an orc is hard. Everyone considered us as frivolous and uncultured. We're being labeled as barbarians. I need your help."

Lanert knew Gurken too well. Inside his head were food, booze, fighting, having fun, and women. Now this? It was new for him. It looked like it would be an intense matter about the future of the Orc race.

Lanert asked, "How may I help you, Buddy?"

"I want to be an elf, Dawg, and go after Mersa. You remember her, right, slim, tall, brown human. But Father wants me to wed an Orc. You must help me."

"What?"

"Yes, Dawg. I don't want to marry someone I don't like."

Lanert almost dropped his jaw upon hearing Gurken's pathetic request.

Alice giggled. "Male Damsel in distress," she said. "We came a long way here to save the princess."

"You joking, right?" Lanert tried to be calm.

"No, Dawg, I am serious.".

"No, you can't be Serious. You are Gurken." Alice kept cracking a joke.

"Alright, alright. So how may I help you?" Lanert asked.

"I stole this and read something good about transforming and becoming an Elf. If I become an Elf, I could start my harem—I mean, find my soulmate and live happily ever after."

Gurken put his bag on his lap, then pulled an Abomination book of Magi—the one Lanert saw on Royal Liblary and rumored missing.

"So, you the one who stole that book?!"

"Yes, Dawg," Gurken answered. "Listen. I found the way, Dawg. But I can't do it alone. I can't do a Magi, and I need your help."

Larter glittered with the blazed flambeau. The book he had always dreamed of, he would gladly trade everything for that book. Now the book was in his friend's hand. He tried to snatch the book but failed. Gurken pulled it up.

"Help me first, and this book is yours, Dawg."

"I told you, he is a bad influence on you, Lanert," Alice added.

"Shut it." Gurken clapped the book. "Before you could read the book. I demand something from you."

"If I can help, I will," Lanert assured, and he gazed at the book like he was being bewitched. Shit, he still couldn't believe Gurken dared to rob the Royal Library.

"You must behead me right now in this cove."