Touching a Fae's skin is remarkable.
It's like touching the softest silk, the finest cashmere. Like feeling the wind rush past your fingers, and like feeling warm water caress your skin. Like warming your hands by a fire on a cold night.
Hugging them, of course, was something of an issue. Being so small, it's hard to simply pull them to your chest. Not to mention uncomfortable for them. Trey knew this however, he had spent many hours with Fae, and his own little companion, Reiz. And while Reiz's frigid personality was far less cheerful than this fluttering scarlet Fae's, he had yet to find one of the tiny creatures that was not delighted when you managed to surprise one with a hug.
Hugging them took a great deal of skill. Wrapping your fingers around them just firmly enough that it was a hug, and lightly enough that it didn't feel crushing. But, thanks to hours of practice and his long fingers, Trey had honed the skill to an art. So, when he finally managed to catch the scarlet winged creature by surprise, he had been most pleased with himself. It's surprised gasp and happy warbling greeting had made him smile.
The clang of steel against steel rang out over the mossy rocks and echoed off the murmuring stream that wound between them. Another clash sounded, silencing the jungle as the two blades collided with deadly intent.
Trey swung his gracefully curved elven blade upwards, catching yet another attack that left the dark steel ringing. He had just enough time to look up at his attacker before a thunderclap enveloped him. It was a bone jarring vibration, an invisible explosion that sent him flying through the air. He flipped end over end, barely landing on his feet at the edge of a small waterfall some twenty feet upstream.
His glowing white eyes narrowed as he focused on the scarlet figure glaring up at him. Her eyes were pure black, and Trey could almost see colors dancing around their edges, and the hem of her long red dress rippled in the unseen wind. The two symbols on her blade slowly cooled to black, having burst into bright magical flames as the girl had summoned the thunderclap force to knock him back.
Trey straightened from his landing crouch, sheathing his blade.
~
M was confused.
The elf was dark, far darker than she had ever seen. His armor was black as night, lined with silvery edges that almost seemed to give a light of their own. Loops of silver metal hung from his long, swept back ears, and his glowing white eyes were completely unreadable. Loose black straps ran down his leggings, two of which cradled small, ornately worked scabbards. One of those scabbards had been emptied moments ago, the elf had deflected all her attacks with a predatory grace and swiftness, using only a short black dagger. Black leather boots pressed firmly into the moss where he stood, and his long black hair flowed down around him, unbound and wild.
M had heard Aniola's surprised gasp, and the Fae's trilling cry had jolted her into action. Aniola was her best, and possibly only real friend. M had seen the elf wrap his fingers around the Fae, as if to crush the life from her tiny body, and her reaction had been swift.
No one, and nothing, would hurt her friend.
Her dress streamed after her like a trail of scarlet, and Kress's sharp edge had broken into the sunlight with only a whisper as she slid the blade from its sheath. The elf had released Aniola as M's sword swung towards him, and he had drawn his dagger with almost impossible speed, flicking Kress's tip away with the edge of his own blade.
Their blades had clashed, ringing out and echoing off the rocks and the quiet water as it babbled beneath them. And now, that murmuring of the stream was all that she could hear. That, and the pounding of her own heart as she stared up at the elf. He wasn't doing anything though. Just gazing back down at her. Then, Aniola fluttered into her vision.
~
Fae were like people.
All of them very different from one another. Some would express happiness by racing loops in the air, some would warble their nonsensical little words, and some would give their approximations of smiles and flutter off. This scarlet Fae was much friendlier than Reiz, Trey thought as it flitted close and returned the hug. It was oddly charming, and far too cute for words, to have one of the tiny creatures attempt to wrap its arms around him to return the hug. The little scarlet chose one of his pierced ears, chirping brightly as it pressed it's tiny body to his long ear for a moment. It tickled, and Trey couldn't help but twitch his ear, which sent the little scarlet fluttering back into the air, nonplussed. Tugging off one of his fingerless gloves, Trey held out his hand and smiled as the Fae alighted on his palm.
He made a high pitched "rrrr"'ing noise, his closest approximation for "Nice to meet you". He couldn't speak their rapidly changing language, but he knew a few words, or, approximations of them, as Fae spoke in tones higher than even his elven ears could detect. The little scarlet "rrrr"d back at him, happily accepting his greeting before fluttering back to her companion.
Trey smiled, his pointed teeth flashing strangely white against his dark skin.
The human almost smiled back at him.
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