Shangri-La

Lontel closed his eyes as he sank into the soft warmth of the bed. In the security of this womb, his thoughts drifted back to the trip from Tubar Tower.

A physician had removed the arrow from his arm and bandaged it plus many of the uglier gashes he had. Then he, Tubar, and Davon had led the legion of brown clad elven soldiers out of the frozen mountains. The world lost its snowy cover as they dropped lower, and it was replaced by the fresh green of a thick forest. They had marched through the forest and with every step the trees became more magnificent and beautiful. Every bush overflowed with colorful flowers.

Lontel noticed on the fourth day that they were among many strolling elves who waved and cheered the riders as they went by. It was about then that Davon had stopped the troop and announced they were in Shangri-La. Lontel had stared around him stupefied. He had expected magnificent buildings laced with gold and silver. Instead, he was only in forest. The most magnificent forest he had ever seen, to be sure, but still only a forest.

A retainer had taken the horses and disappeared into a growth of trees. Davon then led his two guests to the palace, but Lontel couldn’t be sure when they had left the forest and entered the palace. The two seemed to blend perfectly. Around him beautiful draperies hung to the white marble floor, but still he felt that he was outside. He could hear the leaves rustling in the trees, but he could feel no breeze.

He had strained every sense trying to discover their secret. He had finally capitulated and asked Davon, but the elf could only look at him questioningly. He asked Tubar, but the dwarf was as amazed as he was. He had wanted to ask Davlena, but she couldn’t be reached. Davon told him she was isolated because it was so close to the time. Finally, Lontel resigned himself to the fact that he would never be able to understand how the elves so perfectly interwove the forest and their homes. When he did that, he was truly able to relax and enjoy the quiet majesty that was Shangri-La.

"Master Lontel," a soft, feminine voice called, snapping Lontel out of his reverie. He sat up and saw a young elven woman dressed in a sheer, clinging, pale yellow gown standing near. The translucence of her apparel made Lontel blush, but her emerald green eyes and shining auburn hair held his eyes transfixed. Even as he basked in the beauty of his unexpected guest, Lontel couldn’t help being amazed how elves had absolutely no modesty, and it took every ounce of his self-control to act at least partially at ease around them.

"Yes?" he answered, trying to contain the catch in his throat. She smiled. All of the women knew about his quirk regard naturalness, which drove them to wear their most revealing clothes.

"Tonight is the Passage of Life. I have been instructed to prepare you." She set green silk clothes on his bed and sat down next to him. "While you change, I’ll instruct you in the proper decorum. The most important thing…"

"Would you turn away while I dress, please," Lontel said interrupting her.

"Of course," she said. While he dressed, she continued. "The most important thing for you to remember is to contain yourself until after the Passage is completed. All of the Grove’s energies must be centered on Davon and Davlena. After their union is consummated, the celebrating will begin."

"If I just do what you do, will I be okay?"

"Yes, you will," she laughed. "By the way, my name is Tambi."

"Well, I guess I’m ready, Tambi," Lontel said. She turned around and smiled approvingly. Lontel'’ tall, lanky frame filled the pants and shirt perfectly. She retied the sash that was a darker green than the rest of the outfit.

"Perfect," she said and took Lontel’s arm. "Let us be off." She led them down the stairs of laced ivy, through the palace where once again Lontel couldn’t help but gape as they walked through the hall that seemed really to be a part of the forest. They passed many more gaily clad couples. Lontel couldn’t help but notice that many of the women gave Tambi what he thought was, scowling looks. Apparently she didn’t notice as she glided along beside him waving and calling happily to all they passed.

As their stroll through the forest continued, Lontel became aware of a strange perfumed scent floating in the air. His heart responded to it, and he could feel a warmth enter him. He started to ask Tambi about it, but didn’t. He already felt foolish enough, so he tried to content himself with enjoying the colorful flowers growing in profusion.

They passed through a row of trees and stepped onto a smooth hard floor of the richest yellow Lontel had ever seen. It was a hundred yards wide and three times as long. Overhead, tree branches formed a perfect green and brown canopy. At each end fountains fed by springs sprayed water high into the air. The water cascaded down into oval ponds whose clarity revealed magnificent turquoise bottoms. Lontel could see no source of light, but everywhere was the same soft light bathing everyone and everything. The perfume was stronger, and Lontel could feel a lusting desire building in him. Tambi squeezed his arm even tighter.

Other couple filtered in, and when they nearly filled the floor space, a soft, melodious song began. Lontel gulped when he saw everyone start dancing.

"I, I don’t know how to dance like that," he stammered.

"Just follow my lead," Tambi said reassuringly. He followed her feet so intently that soon a sheen of sweat bathed his brow. After an hour of stumbling over others and her, Lontel managed to get down the basic steps. Tambi seemed content with that and moved in close to him. Lontel wished she would move away because the feel of her warm body and that damned perfume were driving him insane.

Finally, he could stand no more and pushed her away. "I didn’t think the celebrating was supposed to start until after the Passage of Life," he said.

Tambi laughed. "It won’t. This is merely a preparation for it. We must begin charging the powers of the grove to its peak." She moved into his arms again. Lontel gulped and hoped she would understand what she was doing to him. The perfume strengthened and mingled with the musky odor of his partner until Lontel was quaking. His legs trembled, and all the while the music and dancing continued.

After what seemed years, the music stopped. As if in a trance, the elves filed out of the dancing area. Lontel followed Tambi who held to him tightly. They walked through the forest until they reached a glade surrounded by evenly spaced trees. The perfume nearly overpowered Lontel. He saw that others were trembling noticeably. If they could control themselves, so could he.

He and Tambi sat in the soft grass just in front of a deeply polished, ornately carved dais with equally beautiful steps leading up to it on either side. On the front corners of it, in raised golden bowls, two fires burnt brightly. Between them was a table draped with white satin. Behind the table another raised bowl sat empty. An elderly looking elf stood before the table.

When all were seated, he spoke. "Our Sacred Grove once again feels the power of the Passage of Life. Let the rite begin." He walked behind the table and raised his arms to the sky and began chanting. Soon everyone in the glade was chanting except Lontel. His mind shrunk away from the sounds. It was the same chant he had heard the lemonyx saying when Oberon had almost gotten Davlena.

While the chanting destroyed the effects of the perfume and his swaying partner for Lontel, it had the opposite effect on the elves. They began moaning softly as they chanted. Tambi’s hand squeezed into his leg as she fought to control the urges building in her.

Lontel gasped when he saw Davlena climb one set of stairs wearing nothing. She climbed onto the table and lay on her back. Soon Davon climbed the opposite set of stairs and approached the table. As he neared her, a white mist floated up from the dais until the forms were only ethereal shadows. Jealousy raged through Lontel as he watched Davon mount the table and slowly lower himself into the waiting embrace of Davlena.

Animals! Lontel screamed silently as the elves' copulation began. It lasted practically no time, and Davon stiffly climbed off the table and joined the elder elf behind it. To Lontel’s amazement, Davlena’s stomach immediately began to swell. Davon held her up in a half-sitting position, and the other elf gently brought forth from her a babe. Immediately, the center bowl burst into a mighty flame that blinded Lontel for several moments. When he could again see clearly, the dais was empty except for the brightly burning fires in their golden containers.

The chanting stopped as music filled the air. The perfume became stronger than ever. It mixed with the odors of the elves as they succumbed couple by couple to the intoxicating lust permeating the glade. Tambi knocked Lontel to the ground as she buried his mouth in hers. The world whirled in a kaleidoscope of color and feelings as Lontel tried to meet the demands of his partner time and again.

The next morning, Lontel dragged himself out of bed. His body ached terribly, but his soul was invigorated; although, the thought of Davlena on stage still sparked the jealous monster in him. He banished the thought from his mind for the moment and concentrated on easing into his clothes.

He had barely dressed when Tubar entered the room. The dwarf laughed at Lontel’s haggard appearance.

"You survived. That is a wonder. The odds were that you wouldn’t."

"What do you mean?" Lontel asked.

Tubar laughed again. "Some of the elves with whom I have become acquainted told me no human or dwarf could survive the feverish pitch reached during the Passage of Life. They were even surer when Tambi won the honor of escorting you to it. I guess she is one of the more, ahem, shall we say athletic elven women."

"Well, I did survive, though just barely," Lontel moaned. "It appears that you, too, survived."

"I had no worries. I stayed in my room with the door securely locked and the key hidden from even me." They both laughed and were laughing when Davon and Davlena entered the room. She carried their newborn cradled in her arms.

Jealousy prickled the back of Lontel’s neck, but he smiled at his new guests. Neither of them sensed his feelings as they made themselves comfortable on Lontel’s bed. Tubar peeked into the tiny bundle Davlena carried and smiled broadly.

"Lontel, we were hoping you would allow us to name our baby after you," Davlena said. Lontel stood shocked to his very core. All his jealousy dissipated as shame flooded into its place. He blushed profusely. He had been jealous of these kind people who would do him such a great honor.

"I, I would be greatly honored," he said through the catch in his throat.

"Excellent," Davon said. He took the baby from Davlena and offered it to Lontel who quickly retreated. "What’s the matter? Don’t you want to see and hold you namesake."

Lontel was pale. "I don’t want to break him," he stammered. Everyone laughed uproariously. Davon gave the babe to Lontel. He stared down at the tiny cherubic face that contentedly slept through the entire ordeal. Lontel’s chest swelled with pride. This most important baby would carry his name. He could hardly believe it. The baby smiled, but before Lontel could return him, a horrible smell reached Lontel.

Restraining a gag, Lontel quickly returned his namesake to Davon who squinched his nose. "Phew, I think our child has need of his mother," he said as he passed the still sleeping babe to Davlena.

"You will have to excuse me for a moment. Newborn elves’ digestive systems are as efficient as adults," Davlena said as she hurried her smelly bundle out of the room. Davon followed her shortly thereafter, and Tubar left, too.

Lontel sat on his bed. Davlena and Davon had a family to care for now, and Tubar no doubt would be anxious to return to Ingress to see his family and to take the news about Midpost to the queen. It was also time to start back to Sepultha. He had brought Davlena all the way to Shangri-La just as he told Titarnaes he would. Now all he had to do was collect his reward…

Reward? Lontel slapped his forehead. He had almost forgotten his reason for making this journey. He had to get gold or something of value to take back to Sepultha so he could be promoted to master thief. Just as he began wondering how much to ask for, Tambi entered his room.

Her cheeks were stained by tear tracks. She sat down next to him. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What’s wrong?" Lontel asked.

"The only thing wrong is that I want too much," Tambi answered as she sat up.

"What do you mean?"

She looked at Lontel and straightened a lock of his hair that fell across his forehead. "I should be satisfied with the honor it was to escort you through the Passage of Life. That should be enough, but I still wish…" She wiped away the tears dribbling down her cheeks and dripping from her chin.

"You wish what?" Lontel asked. So far, he was completely baffled.

"I wish that I could have a baby."

"Oh," Lontel murmured after regaining a semblance of his composure.

Before he could say more, Tambi began. "You see, every woman who took part in the ceremony last night will have a baby in about ten months. Every woman except me."

"I am sorry," Lontel said. Then he asked, "Why will it take ten months? It took Davlena only minutes to have her baby."

"That is the power of the Passage of Life. Their union was consummated in the stars long before it ever happened here, so the baby needed only an avenue to reach this world and bring its magic and power to us.

"At his birth, he released everything to the elves of Shangri-La and Elysium, so he is now just a newborn elven baby. He may or may not be the one to return to Elysium. Only the stars know for certain right now. Perhaps it could have been my babe if only…" her voice trailed off as she fought back a sob.

"I am truly sorry," Lontel said again.

Tambi laughed scornfully. "It’s not your fault. You had nothing to do with it. No, the fault is mine. I knew as did all of the other women that if I was lucky enough to draw you that I would be barren."

Her bitter words stung Lontel’s vanity. Did she think he was a eunuch? "Why are you so sure you will be barren?" he asked, trying to hide the anger building in him.

"You are a human and I am an elf. There is no way we can interbreed."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, no, but reason dictates that…"

"If you aren’t sure, then there’s no reason to worry about it now. Who knows what the Passage of Life can do? Besides, can’t some elven man marry you or whatever and give you kids?"

Tambi was lost in thought for several minutes. Finally, she said, "You’re right. There is the possibility I could bear our child. It has never been tried before. If I don’t, well, I am still young enough to have elven children. It is more difficult to conceive without the Passage of Life, but it is done. That’s how we have kept Shangri-La populated since the last Passage of Life centuries ago. She smiled at Lontel, a wild glitter in her green eyes. His body worked up its last reserves knowing what was in store.