So, now she’s an elf with the memories of a human who wanted to grow up a troll. No one is going to notice, right?

Habel is given the title of Novice, and as she is the only one for decades, she stands out. She is assigned a guide and steered around the morning events in the tower, getting a feel for the rhythm of life as an elf. There is a bit of work, a lot of play, and a lot of people staring at her.

She is introduced to the elder of the tower, and he sees through her bluff about her forgetting her history. She is not the first to keep their memories, and he hopes she will not be the last.

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Born Human Part 2

Copyright © 2020 by Viola Grace

ISBN: 978-1-989892-51-0

©Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

Published by Viola Grace

Look for me online at violagrace.com.

Born Human Part 2

Habel Trollblood Book 1

By

Viola Grace

Part Two: Elfin Society

A soft chime woke her out of her nap. Habel got up and wrapped a sheet around her, walking to the door. Niika was there when she opened the door. “Greetings of the day to you, Novice.”

Oh, right, that was her name now. Novice. “Greetings of the day, Niika.”

The woman smiled and lifted the tray she was holding. “I brought you breakfast. How did you sleep?”

Novice shrugged. “Fairly well. I don’t remember much. Wait. Did you get shorter?”

Niika laughed. “No, you continued to escalate your transformation over the first day. By tonight, you will have achieved your final form. It looks like you have been born to be an elder.”

Novice looked down. “How can you tell?”

“Your height, hair, the power behind your eyes. It is amazing, really. The last three elves that came in from the outer settlements were all simple citizens.”

Novice went to wash her hands and then sat and lifted pieces of fruit to her mouth in turn.

Niika smiled. “Well, you have good manners. That is certain. Surprising considering your origin.”

Novice frowned. “Why are you referencing my past when I don’t know what it is?”

Niika blinked. “Ah. You are correct. Apologies. It has just been so long since we have seen a new citizen that we are all a little shocked. When the signal went off, we just sat for a moment, staring at each other before checking the roster to see who was supposed to go on retrieval.”

“Artuan.”

Niika looked at her. “Correct. You remembered that?”

Novice smiled. “A member of the crowd was congratulating him on his retrieval when we left the platform.” She reached for another piece of fruit, felt a flash of information hit her, and she extended the platter to Niika. “Elder, would you like some?”

Niika smiled and took a piece of something white, sour, and sweet with a crunchy texture. “I see you managed to download just fine.”

“Download?”

“The orb, it gave you knowledge of the basics of our society. Manners. Knowledge of certain terms.” Niika smiled. “Have you checked out your wardrobe?”

“My what?”

“Oh, right. We didn’t show you last night. Come with me.”

Novice grabbed a handful of fruit, and she trailed after Niika. The flat doors were across the room from the bed, and Niika opened them wide. There was a flat panel and a strange arm that extended from a few feet above Novice’s head.

“We use molecular extruders for our clothing. There is a set range of clothing for your social status. It will measure you, and if you stand there without anything on, it will clothe you.”

Novice looked at her and blinked expectantly before she said, “Would you turn around, please? I will ask for assistance if I require it.”

Niika blinked, blushed, and turned. “Pardon.”

Novice went to the screen, and it lit up. She tapped at the prompts and flicked through the designs. She sighed when all of the designs came up as gowns. She selected one with sleeves made of scarves pinned at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. It should be easy to move in. The colour was a deep blue with gold trim. The rest of the silk would simply fall from a slightly draped neck.

“Would you like me to dress you?” the polite and masculine tone came from the unit.

“Um. Sure.”

“Please remove all clothing, clear the area, and stand with your hands in the designated zones.”

Novice shoved the sheet out of the selected area with her feet and then turned to press her hands to the selected area. She heard a whir and a click, and then arms extended from the machine, and they went to work.

A framework of netting was hung from her skin, and then, tiny spraying modules filled in the spaces.

“I have taken the liberty to dress you in black as it is more flattering to your colouration.”

Niika gasped.

Novice remained with her hands flat on the marks to either side of her. What had started out as gel netting was now a heavy black silk that didn’t float but rustled as she moved. When the unit chimed, the voice announced, “The boots that complete this unit are in the left door of the closet.”

Novice grinned. “I get boots?”

“Boots are part of this ensemble.”

Niika asked, “Fabric unit, who designed that particular gown?”

“This gown was a custom design by Elder Acohar. It was designed for the next novice.” The machine paused. “This is the next novice.”

Niika blinked. “Of course. Thank you for the information.”

Novice looked over her shoulder, and Niika was looking concerned.

The unit chimed again and said, “The gown is complete.”

Novice stood straight, and the sleeves pulled her arms down. The wide panels would make everything she did controlled and serious. The dress was snug but comfortable. She opened the interior panel of the left door, and there were the boots. Thigh-high and laced, they had soft soles that felt sturdy enough, and she loosened the laces as she walked to the bench at the end of her bed. “Thank you, fabric unit.”

“You are welcome, Novice. I look forward to building your collection.” The doors swung closed.

She spent the next ten minutes getting into her boots and admiring the side slits in her skirt that were hidden in the wide expanse of fabric. If she wanted to run in this dress, she could.

“Who was Elder Acohar?” Novice asked the elder who was with her.

“He was one of our first. Out of the seven hundred that live at the tower, he was the first.”

“Where is he?”

Niika cleared her throat. “We do not speak of it.”

“Well, the computer did, so I can ask him.”

Niika flinched. “Fine, he walked into the wilderness. It is what we do when the tower holds no more pleasures. His joy was in seeing new elves come to us and taking them through their first days. He has been gone for seventy years.”

“Oh. He must be missed.” She finished lacing up the second boot.

“He is. He was the greatest of us.” Niika’s eyes were tearing up.

Novice put her hand on Niika’s arm. “Have some snacks. I will take care of my hair and wash my face, and then, you can begin running me through the introduction to the tower.”

Niika nodded and snuffled. “Okay.”

Novice went to the bathroom, drank some water, attended to morning functions, and washed her hands again before raising a brush to deal with her hair. The strands had gone from heavy waves to silky straight. The blue had deepened with purple hints. A weird iridescence made her hair shift in the light. The black definitely suited her more than the blue would do.

She could do without the pearly skin, but her body hadn’t even noticed it when the dawn had touched her. It was strange to think that she had said her goodbyes to daylight, and now, she could be in it as much as she liked with no effect.

She touched the braids at the top of her skull that kept her hair in place. She blinked back tears at the memory of her mother’s taloned hands carefully setting them in place. She was going to keep the braids, that much she knew.

She blotted her skin again, set her shoulders, and walked out of her lavatory to see a series of small metallic persons working at her bed and the dress from the night before.

The thing drove the dress and liner to the closet, and the closet opened the right side, accepting the gauzy things inside.

Niika was speaking into her bracelet, and she was frowning as she spoke to her wrist. The words unusual clothing choice were spoken before Niika noticed her arrival.

“Pardon, Elder. The boots are silent, aren’t they?”

Niika slowly lowered her hand. “They are. Are you ready for your tour?”

“I am. Shall we go?” Novice moved her hand over the fruit, and a glowing dome settled in place.

Niika paused, and she looked pale. “I think I know our first stop.”

Novice smiled. “Please, lead the way.”

Niika walked toward the door. She pulled it open, leading the way into the circular social meeting place in the centre of the space. Other elves were wandering around, and most of the ten people that were in the central area stopped still and stared.

Novice smiled. “Is it the hair or the dress?”

“I believe it is both. You have rather a unique colouration.”

They walked to the lift, and once inside, they turned to face the doors. Novice smiled. “So, am I disturbing you?”

Her escort blushed. “I was not anticipating someone who was not afraid of their surroundings. You seem to know what to do and how to do it, and that is not what I was told to expect.”

“Do not worry about it. I think this is how I have always been. And now, it is how I will always be.” She smiled at the slightly shorter woman. It appeared that Novice had grown in the night. Hmm.

Novice asked, “Where are we going?”

“I am taking you to the head elder.”

“I thought that was Joren.”

Niika waved her hand as the door opened, and they exited. “Joren handles the day-to-day stuff. Elder Monathian controls the tower and the trade for our people.”

“He is going to know what to do with me?”

Niika chuckled. “He is a master of looking through odd goods to see the value. I believe you qualify.”

Novice had her hands folded in her sleeves, the pale skin of her arms showing through the drape and pin in the fall of fabric from shoulder to wrist. She felt like she was keeping herself in control. Control was difficult. She was being stared at by an assortment of men and women who were the definition of conventional beauty.

Niika kept her head high and led her through the crowds that parted for them. They walked to the centre of the space and descended a wide twisting staircase.

The scent of greenery filled her lungs the moment that they entered the lower level. They walked through a covered garden where elves idly pruned and plucked the plants. The sunlight streamed in from above and was captured to be fed to the growing space below.

It was a greenhouse of tremendous proportions. In the troll settlement, only the unchanged could take care of the plants and underground vegetation. They were responsible for watering and taking care of pests. Here, it seemed that there were no children to be used for minor tasks.

The tree roots appeared to be their destination. There was a man crouching, wearing a very long open vest over his tunic and trousers. It was one of the first ranking marks she had seen since arriving.

Niika stopped a few feet away and waited respectfully with her head down.

The man with snow-white hair continued to examine bits of bark. “Novice, do you know what this is?”

Novice smiled. “Permission to approach?”

“Of course. We don’t stand on ceremony when it comes to the health of the plants.”

She moved forward and crouched easily next to him, looking at his sample. She blinked and reached for it. Smelling the small bark and taking in the different layers of age, water, soil, and the fungus that was starting on it.

“Sarconi’s fungus. You must have gotten a sample from the northlands. The oaks carry it. It is harmless but annoying. It can be treated by making sure you don’t have the oaks near it and scraping it off. It is a slow traveller. It likes the skin of younger trees.”

He chuckled. “So, you kept all your knowledge.”

She winced. “A trap?”

“A trap. You like trees?”

“Plants are life. Meat is entertainment.” She quoted the words in troll, and he stared at her.

He blinked and stared. “You retained language as well.”

“Sure. I have no idea why the orb blew up, but it just gave me the etiquette of the elves and exploded.”

He sighed and got to his feet.

She stood and faced him. “So, what are you going to do with me?”

Niika was standing and staring.

Novice whispered, “Why is she staring?”

“We are speaking goblin.”

“Oh. Right. I am guessing that there aren’t many who do?”

“Six of us. Two are out on trade missions. Hm. Well, what shall we do with you? You are to give the answer to that. We don’t have any more outposts. We have nowhere to send you. You can either live at the tower and have a stimulating occupation in regards to painting intricate patterns on tiles, or you can become my assistant.” The elder switched to elvish once again.

Niika gasped. “Elder. She isn’t qualified. She is just transformed.”

Elder Monathian grinned. “Novice, have you used light?”

“Yes, sir.”

“When?”

“To drive back my people and then today to cover breakfast.”

“Fine. Show me now. Scrape off that fungus.”

Novice knelt, and she gathered light into her hands, running them down the roots of the tree. This was knowledge from the elf download.

The fungus turned into smoke at the touch of direct and focused light. When she was done, she stood up again and turned to the elder. “Anything else?”

He chuckled. “What would you like to be called as a personal name? Novice is going to be your title for the next fifty years, I’m afraid. Or until we get another novice.”

She stepped close to him. “My personal name is Habel Trollblood.”

He stared at her, his rainbow eyes shocked. “Troll? I mean, I know they said it yesterday, but troll?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Since the day I was born.”

He looked at her closely and then nodded. “That explains the braids.”

She chuckled. “Does it?”

“I would like to discuss your background with you in-depth. Would you accompany me?”

Habel nodded and smiled. “Niika, too?”

The elder looked at Niika. “She can occupy herself for a few hours. I need to record your history manually. Since the orb had an accident, that means a lot of writing and dictation into an orb.” He smiled. “I am sure that Niika doesn’t want to do it.”

Niika held her hands up. “I don’t do script or calligraphy. I will wait for the summons.”

Monathian smiled. “Excellent. Well, Novice Habel, shall we be on our way?”

He offered her his hand, and she placed her fingers against his wrist. He smiled and led her through the gardens, past the giant roots of the tree that expanded upward through the glass ceiling and out to the world beyond.

He pressed his palm to a square on the wall, and a door opened. “This way, Novice.”

They walked up the shallow steps in a slowly curving arc. “Why are the steps so shallow?”

“The skirts that the women wear as part of their daily wear. Hiking them up all the time is annoying, so this allows for a graceful entrance and exit.”

“Interesting.”

The steps led into a private office with a view of expansive gardens that were being tended by languid elves in the bright sunlight.

He gestured for her to have a seat on one of the chairs near the window, and he went to a sideboard and pressed some buttons. He set out a pot, and hot water streamed into it. A few scoops from a nearby canister and he put everything on a tray and carried it over to the bright spot where she was sitting. “So, I imagine you have questions.”

She laughed. “I thought that was my line.”

He smiled. “I was a goblin. That is how I came to this place. One in fifty of us remember who we were, though I haven’t heard of anyone blowing an orb before.”

“I have previously untapped talents. I also have the troll scream.” She looked outside and smiled at the slow farming.

He paused. “I have heard of that. Your family was high-ranking?”

She chuckled. “My mother was chief. Is chief.”

He sat next to her, and he frowned. “Haladen? Is she still chief?”

“That’s my mother. I have two older siblings, both trolls.”

“Huh. She has been in power for forty years now.”

Habel smiled. “She had us all while keeping two thousand trolls under her control. We were raised at her side and saw everything involved in running a large group of rowdy assholes.” She paused. “Why am I telling you everything?”

“Ah, my goblin skill was summoning truth. It came with me during the change. It is also why I am in charge around here.” He chuckled and turned to pour the tea. “Your clothing is rather striking.”

“Thank you. My closet chose it?” She grimaced as she realized how it sounded. “It seemed fairly friendly for an inanimate object.”

He grinned. “The closets all use voiceprints from visitors. It keeps our minds stimulated to deal with new attitudes and syntax.”

“It said the outfit was designed for the next Novice by Elder—”

“Acohar. It looks like one of his. It looks comfortable and elegant.”

“It is a lot thicker than Niika’s gown.”

“Acohar was a fan of durable materials and practical applications for movement. A gown to him was a sculpture that had to be useful.”

She smiled. “I like the design.”

“Good. I will authorize other designs of his for you. So, what do you want to learn?”

He handed her the cup of herbal tisane. She recognized the scent as one brought in by the forest folk.

“Um, I don’t know what you mean?”

“We learn here. It is what we do. We consume the information from the outside worlds brought in by traders, and we give them medicinals and herbals in return. We also provide them with the necessary technology that they come to trade meat and hides for.”

“I can learn anything?” She smiled.

“Of course. If we can’t teach it ourselves, there are records for it. So, what would you like to learn?”

Habel smiled slowly and gave him her list of favourite topics of study, and he looked at her in surprise. “All of that?”

“That is just to start. Those are the skills I need to continue my education.”

Monathian smiled. “A few qualifiers. I want you here to take notes when we are entertaining traders. Also, you need to write down as much of your life as you remember, and I will set up an orb for you to dictate your writings into. There is a non-contact rig that I have been toying with, but writing for two hours a day in elvish will be a good start.”

She blinked. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. I will make the arrangements, and instructors will come to collect you no matter where you are in the tower. Oh.” He dug in his pocket and took out a small bracelet. “Here. This is for you. It is a tracker and communicator.”

She put it on her wrist and locked the clasp. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I can now find you anywhere in the tower, and I wasn’t joking. I need someone to assist me with trade. It is a difficult situation.”

“Do you know who shows up? Which race comes when?”

“Generally, yes.”

“Is there a place where I can learn about the social behaviours of the race?”

“We have a great archive, so yes.” He smiled. “I will give you a schedule, but you are going to need to learn an instrument.”

She paused with the teacup to her lips. “An instrument?”

“Part of the social interaction is usually a performance for the visitors. If I can get someone there who isn’t terrified, it will be a definite aid to me. So, add an instrument to your roster of activities.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, and he got a lot of details about the troll hierarchy out of her. When the tea was done, he summoned Niika and explained the plan to her. Well, he explained a few of the activities that he wanted Habel to engage in and asked Niika to assist in creating a schedule.

Niika blinked and said, “Combat instruction?”

“Yes, I believe that Nerion was a fighter at one point. Ask him. You can scan all the files to find a match.”

“Yes, Elder. I will begin the search immediately. Has Novice had her lunch yet?”

Elder Monathian shook his head. “No. I do believe that I am hungry, as well. Shall we?”

Niika’s eyes widened as he got to his feet and held his arms out to each of them. Habel set her teacup down, and she asked as they headed for the private lift.

“So, where do the bots come from? They don’t seem to match the rest of the tech.”

Monathian smiled. “They come in fall, or when we have need of technicians. They stay for a few weeks and leave with trade goods that they carry into the dark wastelands.”

“How do they get out there? The transport roads are impassible. Does the monorail run there?”

He laughed. “Thank you, you have woken my interest in the outside world again.”

She noted that he did not answer her.

The door opened, and their trio stepped out to the shock and surprise of those gathered. Monathian murmured, “Walk through the line, take a tray, go to the machine, and select your entrée. Keep walking and take your soup and fresh food, and when you arrive at the end of the line, your choice will come forward to the link with your bracelet.”

She whispered, “You go first.”

He laughed and said, “Niika should go first and show you how it’s done.”

That was how it went. They went through in a line, and finally, Habel completed the circuit successfully. They sat together at a table, which had a selection of sauces and a pitcher of water in the centre.

They were into their meals when Habel whispered, “Why are they staring?”

Niika glanced at the elder and whispered back, “He doesn’t eat in public. This is new.”

Habel looked at Monathian. “But you do normally eat, right?”

He grinned, his white face crinkling in amusement. “I do.”

They chuckled together and finished their food. Habel was surprised that the meat she ate came from actual animals. She could taste it. It must be one of the trade goods because she didn’t sense any livestock in the immediate vicinity.

It was amusing to see the expressions on the faces of those who watched Elder Monathian carry his tray to the cleaning station. He turned to Niika. “Take her away, and arrange her time.”

She nodded. “Yes, Elder.”

Habel bowed slightly from the waist.

Monathian smiled. “And teach her to curtsy.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Niika touched Habel’s arm, and they walked away from the station where they had slid their trays a moment before.

They walked together to the lift, and once inside, Niika exhaled. “That was new.”

Habel smiled. “You said that.”

“You don’t understand. There have been no truly new events here in decades.”

She blinked, and understanding dawned. “Oh. Got it.”

Niika looked at her. “You seem more relaxed, Novice.”

“I am. I won’t have to hide what I was with at least one person. That is a very good thing.”

“That was what the languages were?”

“Yes. They remain in me.”

“Interesting. I haven’t heard of that before.”

“I suppose that most folks who came here only came with their own language, and it was moved aside by elvish. I came with multiple languages already, so I just added elvish to the roster.”

Niika seemed to accept that.

“Where are we going now?”

“To the archive to get you familiar with the layout and to obtain writing materials for your recording of your history.”

“Ah. Right.” She imagined writing in elvish letters, and the image of them came to her. She sighed internally. That was close. She could clearly remember how to write in troll.

The lift stopped, the doors opened, and they walked through the halls to an area that was filled with the scent of paper, ink, and age. There was also the tang of vellum and hides, but it was mainly masked by the paper.

Niika smiled. “This is one of seven storage areas that we have for historical books and documents. We also keep our scribe materials here.”

They walked toward a counter where an auburn-haired woman was leaning forward, perusing a huge tome.

“Ibera, this is the novice. She requires writing materials for a project that Elder Monathian has assigned her.”

The librarian straightened and stared at Habel for a moment. “Right. The novice. I hadn’t imagined that she would be here. Supplies. Right.”

Ibera groped around under the desk and came out with a three-inch stack of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a metal box containing pens, nibs, and a blotter.

Habel asked, “So, why is this place so sporadically low tech?”

Ibera smiled. “Because some things, when done by hand, mean more. Painting, gardening, writing, crafting, even exercise are all things that create mindfulness of the moment. It keeps you centred.”

Habel looked at the earnest expression in her eyes, and she inclined her head. “Thank you. I will try and keep that as my focus.”

Niika nodded. “Thank you, Ibera.”

Ibera inclined her head, and then, Niika whisked Habel off and back to her quarters.

It took two hours to get her schedule set, and Nerion was delighted to be chosen as a tutor. She was going to have her first lesson tomorrow morning. The music centre was waiting for her, and she was going to have the rest of the afternoon to pick her instrument.

Niika was busy trying to fit in all of the events with tutors that Monathian had insisted on. “Why does he want you to do all of this?”

“I believe the phrase is jumping into the deep end. He feels I will acclimate faster if I am wrapped in activities.”

She nodded as if that made sense. “We can leave for the music hall in a moment.”

“I can go on my own if you like.”

Niika smiled. “Tomorrow. I am your guide today.”

“Right.” Habel looked at the pages that she had written about her early life.

Niika finished moving her hands through the air for the schedule, and she said clearly, “Save schedule and set alarms. Sync to her tracker.”

A chime rang out, and Niika smiled. “There you go. You will get an audio reminder when your next appointment is to start, and if you inquire, your tracker will guide you through the tower.”

“Good. Thank you.” She looked at her wristband.

“Right. We are going to the music hall now.” Niika nodded, and they walked back to the lift.

Habel sighed. “This is the least appealing of my assignments.”

Niika chuckled. “I am not particularly musically inclined either. Don’t worry. They will find something that suits you.”

Habel snorted. “That is what I am afraid of.”

Tahvan and Telhor were not twins, but they looked related. They took her through pianos, harps, stringed instruments that were handheld, and when their ears had recovered from the sound she created, they moved on to wind instruments.

She didn’t want to grin as they braced themselves when she held the simple pipe, but the notes she blew were sweet and clear. They looked relieved. She couldn’t tell them that she had been playing the pipes since she was four.

She looked longingly over at the drums.

Tahvan saw her. “Would you like to try them?”

Habel grinned and was out of her chair in a second. She walked up to the largest of the drums, picked up the two wooden rods used on the drum, and she clicked them together twice before she began to rhythmically strike the stretched surfaces in front of her. The heavy beat came naturally, and when she stopped, three astonished elves began clapping. She blushed and nodded her head. She set the sticks down and admitted to herself, I think that I am going to like it here.

Author’s Note

So, this is the second part of Born Human. I hope you are enjoying it, if not... it will be over in three more instalments.

Next, Habel will settle into her life and training as an assistant to the elder.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

About the Author

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around, and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

In real life, she is now engaged in beekeeping, and her adventures can be found on the YouTube channel, Mystery Bees Apiary. Just look for the cartoon kittens.

Table of Contents

Part Two: Elfin Society

Author’s Note

About the Author