Outcasts
Okay, here we go again.
This is my first submission here, and I'd like to think it might be the first of many. This story is going to be pretty big, and I don't really know exactly were it's going to head, but it should be entertaining. There will be smut, but it will come a little later and be of a more romantic sort.
Master Tigress from Kung Fu Panda and Haley Long from American Dragon will be appearing in this story fairly predominately. There will be other character and world crossovers, but they will play a special part.
Oh, and in case you wanted to know, the main character is a Futa Elf. She will be written as a woman who just happens to have a penis. I have some magical transformations planned for Tigress and Haley that might put a little temporary extra part on them, but I'm not sure.
I'm always open to suggestions and plot ideas. If you have a scene or even smut scene you would like to see in here, I'm more then happy to hear about it. All I ask is a comment here and there to let me know what your thoughts are.
Alright, I've wasted enough time.
I was once of the race of elves, until they cast me out. I spent thirty seven years wandering my own world before I discovered how to step between dimensions, and fell into Master Tigress's arms, literally.
Outcasts
Chapter 1
Magic.
Magic is everything to the Elves.
My Grandmother told me that there is magic in everything, from the smallest animal to the quietest wish. When I was young, she told me that my magic was still sleeping, and it just needed a little while longer before it would wake up. But I got older, and the years past, and still my magic never came. We tried everything to get it burning; rituals, and potions and amulets, but still my body was devoid of any spark.
Years turned into decades and decades were fast approaching a century, and it was traditional for a girl who reached their majority of one hundred years to be promised to someone as a bride. My hope was that I would be paired with Herigan-jin. I had known him for years, and unlike some of the boys I knew, he was kind and had a very strong need to take care of hurt animals. We had been friends since we were younglings, and we had even talked secretly about being bonded since his sixtieth birthday.
His parents liked me, and it seemed like our little wish might come true, but as my one hundredth birthday drew closer and closer with still no signs of magic, Herigan-jin's family started to look at me oddly, like I might be ill. No one wanted grand-children who were diseased, and to be born without magic was a disease.
The morning of my birthday was the second worst day of my life. I hadn't slept at all that night, but instead stayed up all night trying to get some little flash of magic to work. Light a candle, lift a quill, anything! If I could just prove that the magic was only weak in me, not missing, everything would be fine. There were many elves who had almost no magic on them, that lived normal lives and were allowed to be bonded. Just because you have weak magic doesn't mean your children would too.
Maybe I would have see it coming if I hadn't spent most of that year trying to be acceptable.
That evening I still had some small sliver of hope, and made sure to clean well and get prepared in my best silk dress when my parents took us over the see the Jin family. I put my hair back, taking hours to braid flowers into it, and spending nearly twice that long making last minute alterations to the dress.
Both my parents and Grandmother they were going to break off formal negotiations with the family. I was going over with stacks and stacks of scrolls that chronicled strong bloodlines blooming from nearly magicless parents, and recordings of magic awakening in some as late as their three hundredth year.
We were greeted at the door with all formalities being observed, and were quickly shown through to the sitting room. My parents seemed embarrassed when I started into my long rehearsed speech, passing around the scrolls that the librarian had let me remove from the Great Library.
Herigan's parents didn't scoff when I brought out the pages, and they patiently read everything that I put in front of them. They asked all of the questions I was prepared for and even seemed impressed that I had traced two members of the Royal bloodline that had not awoken their magic until almost their second century.
When I was done, I chanced a look at Herigan but he was still reading the scroll that detailed the life of Shianna-she, the princess who only ever had enough magic to raise a quill, but yet gave birth to Myrddin, the most powerful magician in history. His blue eyes darted back and forth, with the same interest and intensity that he gave everything. He looked very good in his formal clothes; the white embroidered silk wrapped around his thin chest magnificently, and the signs of peace and unity stitched onto the front seem to only make me more nervous.
"We are very impressed that you were able to gather such a convincing book of evidence, Young One," said my beloved's mother in the flowing language of my people, looking at me sadly. "But, we cannot allow our only son to marry someone who might not be able to give us an Heir."
My hearts plummeted, and my eyes stung as she spoke.
"It takes many decades for a proper courtship and bonding to be approved of, and we do put great store in your intelligence and beauty. If sometime before Herigan is bonded your magic awakens, we will immediately extend a proposal for a bonding." She watched me carefully, and I knew that I should say something, but I couldn't get my throat to work.
I was fighting back tears, and my throat felt like someone was strangling me. Herigan was looking at me now, but it would be improper for him to comfort me after my families rejected bonding. I had tried so hard, but it wasn't good enough.
No.
The quaking feeling in my belly suddenly hardened into stone. It just wasn't good enough for their rules, I thought, squaring my slim shoulders and holding my head high. There was a human saying that I heard once that seemed to fit the situation very well.
'It is easier to ask forgiveness, than permission.'
"I thank you for your time and understanding," I said, the smooth words tasting sour in my mouth, while bowing my head respectfully. Please let this work. "If it is agreeable to both families, I would like to say goodbye to Herigan, for now."
My parent's looked aghast that I had the nerve to ask such a thing. The Jin family had just refused a bonding proposal, but I was counting on them being truthful with their previous statements. Herigan gave me a strange look that I wasn't familiar with, as his parents leaned together and spoke softly. Finally after what seemed like an eternity they parted and smiled at me.
"We think that it would be acceptable, as long as there is no actual contact and it is observed from outside of hearing distance," said Lord Jin, as if he was giving me a great gift. But I bowed, and waiting patiently as my parents left, giving me a look that said we would be talking when we got home. My grandmother refused to meet my eyes.
Lord and Lady Jin passed me, and Lady Jin leaned down to whisper into my ear. "That was a very brave thing. I do hope that your magic awakens before Herigan is bonded. I would love to have you as a daughter in law."
I bowed politely once more, even as it felt like someone was squeezing both of my hearts in a death grip. Before he is bonded. That's what I'm going to try to stop.
Lord and Lady Jin were lead into the study over looking the forest of silver spires that was the tops of the grand Jade city. Two servants moved quickly to turn their chairs around so that they could look into the room that now only contained Herigan, myself and my now useless book of evidence. Herigan moved forward carefully, making sure to keep a distance between us. All I wanted to do was reach out and touch him, and even though it was killing me, I held my ground and began to speak in as even as voice as I could.
"We do not have much time before I must go. My last plan is for us to leave, together, tonight." Herigan looked at me amazed, but quickly covered it up. "They will not let us bond, and it could be years more before my magic awakens. If you come with me, we will be together."
"But we have responsibility to our families," he said.
"And we will be able to fulfill them." I looked to Lord and Lady Jin and gave them a reassuring smile. "I'm not saying that we should run away from the Jade city forever; just until my magic awakens. Once I have my magic we can come back and we'll take up our responsibilities again. It should be any month now, I can feel it coming, like a heat deep inside. I promise we won't be gone for any longer then thirty years."
"But what will we do for food, or even a roof," he asked in a voice that betrayed his question.
"We'll both have to find work at some kind of a settlement, and sleeping outside won't be that bad. We've done it for fun before."
Herigan looked between me and his parents once, twice and finally locked eyes with me, giving me a slight nod that send lightning across my skin. I wanted to kiss him right there, but I contained myself. "We'll meet under the blue blossom tree near the eastern gates. Bring only what you can fit into one bag, and I will do the same. We will leave before morning, and hopefully reach some kind of a settlement before they even realize we are gone."
Herigan-jin hesitated, but nodded. I turned and walked out the doors to meet up with my parents once more. It was all I could do not to skip there, with a huge grin on my face; but I was supposed to be crushed, it would be very suspicious if I were to be giggling.
~*~
As soon as we passed through the doors of our home my father started yelling. He shouted at me for being an embarrassment, and for throwing myself at a boy like some sort of painted girl. My mother didn't say a word throughout. She just sat in the chair and looked at me in total disappointment. I hadn't any idea where Grandmother had gone, but she wasn't even in the room.
Three hours later the sun had set over the tops of the highest buildings, and I had my bag packed. I made sure to only pack pants and shirts; the wilderness was no place for dresses. I also packed some food, making room for the little container of horn berries that were Herigan's favorite. A compass was put into a packet, along with a map I had sneaked out of father's study.
The brass clock on my bed side chimed softly, just as I was lowering myself out the window, and climbing down the wall, using the window ledges as foot holds. Several times I had to freeze because someone was passing beneath me, and once I looked into a window to see my father standing there with his back to me.
Fifteen minutes and what seemed like a thousand years later I was climbing up the branches of the blue blossom tree to wait for Herigan. I had almost been expecting him to be waiting, but I was content to wait.
An hour passed, and still I watched the road that lead to the Jin compound. A bird landed on the branches near me and chirped happily at me for a while before it flew away.
It started to rain in the middle of the night, and since I hadn't taken the time to change out of the formal dress I had worn the afternoon before, I was soon freezing. I had planned on changing into something more road worthy tomorrow - and maybe giving Herigan a little peek. Now I was regretting not getting changed as the silk stuck to my skin and irritated my back. My nipples had hardened to an almost sore level, and I was sure that they were clearly showing through the fabric, but still I waited.
I sat in that tree, in the pouring rain for nearly seven hours before the sun started to rise. I watched it dumbly, not understanding what had happened. I had said the blue blossom tree, hadn't I?
Maybe Herigan had been held up. Or maybe he had been caught trying to get out.
I pulled a thick shirt over my head, to give myself some kind of decency. I didn't want to give a show to every Elf that passed by. Once I made sure that nothing could be seen, I climbed down, slung the pack over my shoulder and started off down the road.
Just as the Jin house was coming into view I noticed a small group of people coming toward me from the opposite direction. I was suddenly very conscious of my mud splattered dress, and messy, rain slicked hair. If anyone were to pass me they would stop to ask too many questions.
I was just about to hid behind a low wall, when the small group of Elves turned down the path leading to the Jin's front door. I froze in my tracks and started frantically trying to plan how I was going to get onto the grounds and find out where my beloved had gotten too.
And then I noticed the formal dress that the young Elf was wearing.
A trickling coldness ran down my back and I swallowed around a ball of stone. The Lord knocked politely, and the Lady bumped the young Elf, making her stand straighter, and in consequence, puffing out her chest.
Lord Jin came to the door ... with Herigan right behind him, and greeted them with all traditions being observed. All the Traditions for what could only be a tenth or greater meeting, with intent to propose a bonding.
My eyes stung, and my throat was tight, but what broke my hearts was how sincerely Herigan kissed her hand - while looking right at her breasts. The world around me was fading into static, and I was suddenly feeling listless. And then Herigan-jin looked right at me. He looked me over, not making any motion to draw attention, his eyes stopping on the worn shirt, and the mud on the bottom of my once beautiful dress. Looking right into my eyes he gave be a look that said many things, including 'did you really think I would show up?', before he rolled his eyes and lead his newly intended into the house.
I don't remember much from the rest of that day, aside from my homecoming. Through the fog, and tears that I refused to let fall I somehow managed to make my way home. I was just walking up to the door, when my father appeared in the glass. He looked down his nose at me, taking careful stock of my dress and the pack slung over my shoulder, and with a causal wave of his hand locked the door with a powerful charm that I had no way to open.
I watched him with surprise for a moment before I understood.
I walked out the gate of the Jade city that morning with the fires of anger burning hot inside me.
Twenty three days after I was disowned and had been cast out, my magic awoke. That night I just sat in front of the fire and watched the blade of perfect ice that I had somehow conjured slowly melting in the heat. That night I cast aside my old name, and my old life. I would start anew.
I must admit that I was a little self-destructive afterward, at least until one kindly old human took me in for a winter and asked nothing in return. Thirty seven years after all of this happened I now had a new identity.
I am Austin, the Elf with a human name.
~*~
In a lone house on a mountain side, overlooking a sprawling human city a fire burned in a blackened hearth. An old woman moved around the kitchen, making a small meal for herself and her granddaughter, who was seated happily at the table, playing with a rag doll.
A candle flickers on the table, calling the girl to it, and she moves slowly. The little girl slides of her chair and glides almost ethereal to the candle that has no business bending the world around it until it was all that she could see. Her grandmother suddenly noticed her, but is frozen in place with the implication of what she is seeing. She has been a witch for most of her life, and she knew a call of the Powers when she saw one.
Her granddaughter stopped before the candle, and stared deeply into the flame, seeing something that was only hers to see. Her eyes reflected the dancing flame, and when she spoke her voice reached the air a few moments after her lips moved, lending an eerie quality to it.
One of the Nine awakens.
The Elf of Ice and Snow and all the cold of the spaces between the worlds has discovered her power, and any who stand in her way will fall to frost and blade.
The Tigress, with eyes of yellow and claws of steel prowls the night; restless and lost.
The Dragoness, with scales of scales of purple and the flames of a volcano walks the floor of a concrete jungle.
The Elf, the Tigress and the Dragon; the one that are three, the three that are one. A bond forms between the three, far stronger than anything else seen in a thousand years.
They each are hurt in ways that are not obvious. They each are weak in ways that are not obvious,
Apart they are strong; together they are invincible.
A man with skin like stone and bones erupting through his skin. An orb that holds all the destructive power of a hundred cannons. A warlord who raises the dead. A man with a symbol of hope on his chest.
The wonders the three will see are only eclipsed by the horrors.