A Long Trip

Gathering / Conference

Fendir accompanies his family to the Brindellis Arts Festival.

"You're really not coming?! You come every year!" Fendir asked Kastella as she weaved her way around the library.    "No. It's the same every year Fendir," she tried to shrug him off.    Fendir gave an exacerbated sigh. "Well whose going to sit on the bridge with me and look for the Loch Ness Monster?! And you have to come watch the concerts so we can judge them based on how weird the performers are dressed! You're ruining our traditions!" he accused her.    She pulled out a book and studied it for a moment. "I don't know Fen, do it with Sasha I guess," she shrugged, avoiding his eyes.    He huffed in annoyance. "Fine. Whatever. I'll see you when we get back I guess," he stomped off angrily back up to the palace and up to the entrance where all their suitcases were sitting in piles by the door, waiting to be loaded onto their carriages.    His mother and father were there giving some instructions to Killion and a few other court people who would be staying behind. Sasha ran over to Fendir when she saw him.    "Hey! Guess what!" she said excitedly.    "What?" he asked, trying not to let his grumpy mood come out too much.    Sasha seemed to notice though. "What's your problem?" she asked him.    Fendir shrugged. "Kastella isn't coming. She says its boring and stupid or something," he pouted.    Sasha shrugged. "Well she's kinda a party pooper anyway," she commented. "What isn't a party pooper is that you, me, Pyotr and Lev all get to ride together in our own carriage!" she said excitedly. "No boring parents!" she cheered.    Fendir shrugged and found he did enjoy the sound of that. "Did you pack some booze?" he asked her.    She nodded. "I'm sure Pyotr did too. I have a couple vials of vodka shots in my pack though," she told him excitedly.    At that moment Natalya walked up and hugged Fendir from his side.    "Mama!" He tried to shrug her off as she reached up and kissed his cheek.    "I'm just saying goodbye and to be careful!" she told him.    "You're coming too!" he countered.    "Yeah, in a different carriage," she said, as if that justified a goodbye. Sasha giggled at Fendir's annoyance as Natalya let him go. "Just be careful okay? I love you!" she told him.    Fendir rolled his eyes. "I love you too," he told her begrudgingly.    Sasha grabbed Fendir's hand and dragged him out to their carriage where Lev and Pyotr were already settled in. Fendir climbed in next to Lev and Sasha sat across from him, next to Pyotr. Fendir leaned his head against the window and looked out at the palace wishing Kastella had come along with them. She was being a real pain lately and it was getting on Fendir's nerves.    Sasha suddenly kicked Fendir in the shin.    "Ow!" he exclaimed. "What the hell?!" he asked her as he rubbed his bruised leg.    "Stop being so mopey!" she scolded him as the carriage started to move.    Lev laughed at their bickering.    "Let me be!" Fendir told her.    She playfully kicked him again. "No! We're going to have fun! Come on! Let's take shots!" she suggested.    Pyotr laughed. "What's wrong, Fen? Why are your bloomers in a wad?" he teased him.    Lev gently elbowed Fendir. "Come on Fen. It's the Arts Festival. It's going to be fun!" they tried to cheer him up.    Fendir shrugged at them. "It's nothing. Fine, let's take shots."    Sasha smiled and grabbed the vials out of her bag. "Here!" she handed one to eat of them. "To a fun vacation!" she cheered as they toasted the vials.    Fendir downed his shot and tried to loosen up and forget about Kastella for a bit. Sasha and Pyotr started whispering together and Lev leaned over to Fendir.    "Are you okay, Fen?" they asked, seeming genuinely concerned for him. Fendir liked Lev. They were always so nice and charming.    Fendir nodded. "I'm upset that Kastella isn't coming," he explained with a small shrug. "She comes every year and we just have certain traditions we did together," he said, trying not to get too emotional, especially with Sasha's legs within range of his own.    Lev put an arm around Fendir. "I'm sorry. But hey, we can all hang out together," they suggested, giving Fendir a small smile.    Fendir smiled back at him.    Suddenly he felt Sasha's leg between his own and he instinctively flinched and covered his groin with his hands. Her shoes were off now, though, and her delicate foot grazed his leg sensually. She gave Fendir and Lev a coy smile.    "It's a long trip. Pyotr and I were thinking of some... activities we could do on the ride."    Fendir glanced over at Lev who gave them a small smile. Fendir leaned in and they kissed each other. Fendir welcomed the distraction and Lev's soft lips against his own.    They were at the border of Glitterfjell, the moon high in the sky when they were all finished. Fendir curled up with Lev, enjoying their company quite a lot as Pyotr held Sasha who was falling asleep against him.    Lev sighed happily. "Man, I should hang out with you guys more often," they commented.    Fendir smiled and pressed against Lev's chest. "Please do," he told the pretty high-elf.    Pyotr smiled. "You're always welcome to," he told Lev before gently kissing Sasha's head and closing his eyes to meditate.    Fendir looked out the window. "Ugh, still like a whole day and a half of traveling," he commented as the carriage stopped to exchange drivers for the night at the border into the mountains.    Lev leaned against him, "Wanna rest together?" they motioned to Sasha and Pyotr curled up together and Fendir nodded, kissing Lev a little more before they settled in each other's arms and meditated.    Fendir opened his eyes as the carriage came to a halt and there was some bustling outside. He sat up off of Lev who was also stirring. It was still dark out and Fendir quickly put his pants on and opened the door. He saw an explosion of fire go off up toward the carriage at the front and he saw his mother and father, weapons drawn, fighting a group of goblins.    Lev looked out in horror and fear.    "Sasha! Pyotr! Get up!" Fendir called to them before transforming into an elk and running toward his father.    "Fendir!" he heard his mother call to his as he barreled into the heard of goblins with his antlers.    He got a couple whacks in the side from their clubs but he managed to kill a couple of them with his horns. He let out a loud bray and suddenly saw another explosion go off, hitting the carriage they had been in. He charged back to see Lev had been thrown a few feet away and he saw the carriage had been flipped onto its side, trapping Sasha and Pyotr.    Fendir charged over and broke the windows with his hooves before turning back into himself. Sasha, wrapped in her blanket, was crying as fire and shards of glass fell around them. Pyotr looked unconscious.    "Sasha, here!" Fendir tried to get her to crawl out, through the back window. She shook her head and held onto Pyotr's body, trying to shield it from the flames. Fendir suddenly felt a wack onto his back as a goblin hit him in the side. Fendir went to kick it off just as an arrow shot through the back of the goblins skull, killing it instantly. Fendir looked up and saw his father a few yards away, already drawing another arrow as he made his way toward his son.   Fendir was suddenly doused with water and looked around to see the fire on the carriage had been put out. He saw Lev standing a few feet away in their trousers with their hand out, looking at Fendir with a very fearful look. Fendir climbed onto the lopsided carriage and opened the doors and reached down to pull Sasha out.    "What about Pyotr?!" she exclaimed. Fendir hopped down into the carriage. "Go! Help me pull him out!" he told her.    She nodded and carefully climbed up, still wrapping her blanket around her naked body and reached down to grab Pyotr as Fendir lifted him up to her. He heard another explosion and hurriedly climbed out once Sasha had pulled Pyotr out who had luckily put his clothes back on before he rested. He had a large scar across his forehead that was gushing blood. Fendir reached out and healed the wound so it would stop bleeding.    Fendir looked around and saw the guards and their parents had taken care of the goblins at this point. Fendir helped Sasha down and they carefully lowered Pyotr to the ground. Lev ran up to them and went to help stabilize Pyotr and make sure he was okay. Fenneck ran up to them and threw his arms around his son.    "Are you okay?" he asked Fendir as he kissed the top of his head.    Fendir nodded. "I'm fine, is everyone else?" he asked as his mother ran up to them.    Fenneck looked around and sighed at the mess the goblins had made. Jasna and Niko approached from the back with a few guards. Jasna ran up to Sasha and hugged her tightly.    "Are you okay?" she asked her. Sasha nodded and curled up against her mother, still focused on Pyotr who was slowly stirring.    Their was a gray hue to the world as the sun started to rise. They went to work on resetting the carriages and healing any wounds. Fenneck and Natalya seemed uneasy about the situation and insisted Fendir ride with them the rest of the way. They made it to Brindellis around nightfall, heading straight for the southern palace. When they arrived, they found their assigned rooms and settled in for the night. Fendir was sharing a room with Lev and Pyotr, who was looking a little better after resting in the carriage all day. Pyotr immediately collapsed onto a bed and closed his eyes. Fendir and Lev soon followed suit.