Melenia's Dream

          "Father?" Brant questioned, dismounting his horse.
          "Yes?" King Regan answered.
          "We traveled for a week to look at a river?"
          They had traveled nearly nonstop for an entire week with a regiment of soldiers, all who were now off of their horses and gazing over the massive river before them. Some of them joked around by spitting and kicking dirt into the water. The Saphir River was legendary for its purity.
          "Of course not, Brant," the king replied, dismounting his horse as well. "We've come here to watch a much more glorious sight."
          "And you still won't tell me what it is?" Brant asked, skeptically.
          "That's why it's a surprise," the king said, chuckling. "You'll like it, son. Trust me."

***

          Brant lay in his tent, boredly tossing a flame in his hand. He had a tent to himself, unlike most of the regiment. Not only that, but his tent was entirely decorated in red and gold, with a woven carpet, and pillows and sheets of silk. Brant leaned against a couple of these pillows now, wishing he could be at home, training for the magmaball tournament. His team was the first co-ed team in the league - a political statement his father hadn't entirely agreed with, but his sister, Almira, had for once supported him in. They had to do well in order to prove that co-ed teams could work and that women could hold their own against men both physically and magically. Brant was also the youngest member of a magmaball team in league history. It was a lot of pressure.

          But, Brant was used to dealing with pressure. He'd grown up in the public eye. He knew how to handle it.

          Brant heard a soldier walking around quietly, right outside of his tent. He was irritated. He hoped the soldier hadn't come to tell him his father needed him for something, or to come see whatever it was that was such a great surprise.

          Links of ice formed around Brant's ankles and elbows, chaining him to the ground. That wasn't a soldier. A fire elf one, anyway.

          Brant tried to break away in vain, the flame in his hand disappearing. Then, he tried to yell but with the first sound he made, his saliva froze too, locking his jaw into a helpless, open position.

          The opening of his tent rustled and a river elf girl entered silently. She glared at Brant, her eyes the cold blue of the ice she'd used and her skin like night.

          "Don't scream, or I'll freeze your blood next," the girl hissed. The ice in Brant's mouth returned to liquid. 

          "Why are you and your men here?" the girl asked.

          "I have no better idea than you," Brant answered, spitting out the remaining shards of ice.

          "Don't lie," the girl said sternly. "I can tell when someone's lying."

          "Well, clearly not, because I'm telling the truth," Brant said, smartly. The girl looked at him hard, then turned away in frustration. 

          "Yes, I can see that." The girl sighed and looked hard at Brant again. "Then tell me what you do know."
          "I'm eighteen and hate fish, which is probably what we'll be eating most of the time we're here. I might take my horse back to the forest and do a bit of hunting," Brant said. The girl glared at him.
          "Tell me what you know about why you're here."
          "Nothing."
          "You're hiding something."
          "Even if you know that, what are you going to do about it?" Brant said. He instantly melted the ice binding him, and rushed at the girl. He could have escaped earlier, but he always found it more useful to let the enemy think they were in power for a bit. But this girl was still in control. She was quicker than Brant had anticipated, and dodged him.
          The girl pulled water out of what seemed to be nowhere. Brant breathed and his throat chaffed at the dryness of the air. He readied flames in his hands.
          Then a buzzing noise filled the air. It deafened Brant and the girl, and they dropped their weapons and covered their ears. The whole tent was vibrating with the sound. Simple, constant buzzing.
          Gradually the buzzing noise grew further away.
          "What was that?" the girl asked frantically. She was staring at Brant with horror. He just stared back.
          "Brant!" King Regan called from outside of the tent. Brant, without thinking, rushed out of the tent and into his father before the king could enter and find the river elf girl.
          "You're excited," the king commented suspiciously.
          "What is it, father?" Brant sighed.
          "Come with me," the king said. "All the men are at the riverbank." King Regan led the way and Brant ignored the subtle movement at the entrance to his tent as he walked away.
          All the men were at the riverbank. Many stood around anxiously, staring out over the water. Some moved about nervously and a few looked sick. The king was glowing with excitement. The men parted to allow Brant and his father to stand in the front.
          "Listen," the king said. There was still a slight buzzing, off in the distance - then silence. It stayed silent for about a minute. Then there were screams.
          Terrible screams traveled across the water, loud enough that it sounded like the river itself were wailing. There was darkness on the other side of the river and it seemed to seethe and writhe with a power of its own. Brant's eyes widened with realization.
          "Dark fairies?" He turned to his father, his voice cracking on each word. King Regan smiled widely. Brant felt bile rise in his throat.
          There was a splash from further down the river and a torrent of water propelled through towards the other side.
          "A river elf!" Some of the men yelled. They reached for their bows to shoot her in the water, but she was gone too quickly. Brant hoped she didn't make it across in  time. There was no way she would survive. But maybe she preferred that to watching her people die.
          Brant puked into the Saphir River. He wasn't the only one, but more blood polluted the ancient, pure waters than vomit that night.