The Boyhood of Kaede

By David Applegate

After the fall of Tir Na Nog, Elves left Earth and established a temporary home on Mars while they explored the stars. Discovering many new worlds, they built a large fleet and began a long exodus. Centuries later, Kaede Hashimoto, a flower Elf and the grandson of the Emperor, is born. However, Kaede is no ordinary child. The Empire has seen mostly peace, but times are changing. As Ogres, Goblins, and even other Elves routinely attack transports, the Empire struggles to meet fuel demands to maintain its massive fleet. Follow Kaede's journey as he grows up and discovers his purpose in life.

This book contains non-standard relationships and touches upon adult situations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Applegate
• Release date: Jan 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005612115

Book preview

The Boyhood of Kaede

Book One of The Empire of Elves

By David Applegate

Contents

Contents

Copyright and Disclaimer

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Appendix 1 A Brief History

Appendix 2 Glossary

Endnotes

Copyright

and

Disclaimer

Copyright © David T. Applegate 2016, 2021. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without the author's express written permission is strictly prohibited.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

About the Author

David was born in Sydney, Australia and currently lives in Brisbane. He attended QUT, where he studied computer science. David has travelled to Europe and parts of Asia. As a boy, he dreamt of Elves, spaceships, and magic. He now intends to share the exciting journey of discovery and adventure with you. David creates Possession Fantasy, a sub-genre of paranormal fantasy.

Dedication

For my son, Daniel.

Acknowledgements

I want to thank my sister Kelly for her support, encouragement, and assistance; my editor Qudsia Baig and my fellow indie author Micah Z'Dar (The Orion Crucible) for their help with my work.

Chapter 1

August 31, 11,562, New Imperial Calendar.

In deep space, the Exodus-class transport, a size ten starship, dropped out of faster-than-light. At the rear, two large sublight engines came to life.

A third and two-thirds of the way along the hull, the manoeuvring rings adjusted the ship’s course as the ship performed a slow zigzag.

Two small ramscoops, one on either side of the elongated nose, opened and projected a long thin, dull yellow cone of light. The cone pushed aside most dust particles as a pair of bright yellow beams brushed aside the larger chunks of space debris. Each scoop drew inside the tiny fragments of frozen gas. Inside the scoop, filters isolated the hydrogen and expelled a steady stream of dust and gas. Combined with the exhaust, it formed a blind spot behind the ship.

Tired, hungry and far from home, the ship’s detection officer saw a few large contracts on the port side. The officer looked briefly at the contacts with the LIDAR. She saw a small cluster of large asteroids and turned her attention to the starboard. Most of the screen had stars, except for the bottom third of the screen. The screen showed they were just over a light-year away from the edge of the Dark Nebula, inside a cloud of hydrogen mixed with debris.

Chasing fuel took the Exodus-class transport closer and closer to the Dark Nebula. After a series of long, slow turns, a cluster of asteroids was behind the ship. Soon the rocks disappeared off their scope. Inside the asteroids, a Raider-class cutter, a size-twelve starship, engaged its engines. The cutter pushed an asteroid with its forward tractor beams as it closed in on the slow-moving transport.

One by one, two rows of missile tubes opened, one on each side of the hull. Each launcher ejected a missile into space. After a few seconds, their engines flared. Each changed course and flew towards the transport at high speed.

The eight missiles flew through the exhaust behind their target. Once close, each arched up and over. They all detonated before impact in a line along the hull, spread evenly from bow to stern.

The collision alarm sounded on the transport’s bridge, followed by damage alerts. Each detonation resulted in a blue flash of energy. All over the ship, electronics overloaded. Another flight of eight missiles approached.

Each explosion was an EMP burst. A ball of radiation expanded out over the hull. Inside the transport, the fusion reactors, computers, lighting, and then other systems shut down as more EMP missiles burst around the ship. In the reactor room, the crew raced to reset breakers.

The collision alert was brief. The emergency lighting came on. Passengers panicked and raced to their rooms while most of the crew rushed to the ship’s rear.

As the transport drifted, the black warship came along its port side, its row of four laser turrets on its starboard side fired at the helpless starship.

Beams sliced open the ship’s nose, blew the outer airlock doors off, and damaged the manoeuvring engines. After the lasers stopped firing, four balls embedded in the hull’s side flicked to life and projected a cone of yellow light onto the ship. Inside each cone, two yellow beams danced over the outer hull. The warship’s tractor beams drew the transport in close. A transfer tunnel extended from the ship to the transport’s external hatch.

✽✽✽

Sub-basement twenty of the Imperial Palace, Imperial City, Proxima Alcyone Three.

Three figures wove through the hawthorn bushes around a round white marble pool in the dark. They were blood-witches, masters of the healing arts and magic. A hood covered their heads, and a red medical mask hid their faces.

Their uniform was a black double-breasted tunic with red trim and a high Asian collar. The tunic had the symbol of the Empire, a black round patch that contained the seven stars of the Pleiades, on its left sleeve. On the right sleeve was a round black patch, with red trim, with a red outline of the Rod of Asclepius in the middle. They wore a black pleated skirt with red trim with a wide red patent leather belt, which had a mobile phone clipped onto it. Each wore red thigh-high stockings with black knee-high pull-on boots.

The blood-witch in the lead carried a quarterstaff and a medical bag, the second was pregnant, and the third carried a small basket that contained a blue wrap.

They stopped in front of a pool at a quarter-circle marble bench seat. Three neatly folded towels sat on the bench. A marble statue of a Flower Elf maiden stood at the back of the pond, holding a vase that poured water into the pool, with the overflow and filter at its feet.

In silence, the blood-witches removed all their clothing, except for the medical mask, revealing them to be a trio of young Flower Elves. They folded their clothes and placed them in a neat pile on the marble seat beside a towel and placed their boots on the ground in front. Wearing only a medical mask, they entered the small pool in the dark.

Three more blood-witches arrived, and each had three small gold bars on their collar. They stood silently at the edge of the pool and watched the trio in the pool.

The pool was behind a two-storey wooden Japanese quadrangle house. It stood in the middle of the island, surrounded by a high wall. The wall had a walkway near the top. Guard towers stood in the corners and on either side of the gatehouse.

The island was on a lake inside a dark, massive cavern. A low, flat wooden bridge with stone pillars with small pagoda lanterns on top ran from a gigantic round stone column in the middle of the cavern to the island’s south side. On each end of the bridge was a guard hut with two guards in each. Two massive iron sliding doors stood in an alcove in the central column. They had Twenty-one in red letters in the middle, with a camera over the top.

The lake was deep and occupied most of the cavern. In the water, a six-metre-long Green Eastern Water Dragon swam close to the island’s shore and rose out of the lake to peer over the barrier. It watched the witches. At first, no one noticed it.

The Hashimoto house guards stood guard, in black fatigues, on a walkway on top of the wall around the compound. They saw the Dragon and gave it occasional glances or a wave. On the left sleeve of the tunic was the symbol of the Empire and on the right sleeve was a grey heater shield patch with blue trim, which contained a standing blue lion.

Each had a black combat vest and a combat helmet. Not only did each guard have a P-17, a 9mm handgun on the belt, but each had a Viper 1, a bullpup assault rifle on a three-point sling over their shoulder. Over the vest was a green tabard that bore the symbol of House Hashimoto, a red shield that contains the profile of a winged Dragon over a crown.

Inside the house, Emperor Takahiro Hashimoto, a 155cm tall Flower Elf, sat on a Japanese wooden stool with a red cushion. He puffed on a kiseru. The tips of his pointed canine teeth were visible.

On his head was a platinum crown, a circle of seven platinum oak leaves joined tip to stem. He had his long, bright pink hair tied in a warrior knot.

Takahiro had a pencil moustache with a long thin goatee. He stroked his pale chin hair as he smoked. Despite the faded facial hair, he had no other signs of old age such as wrinkles, age spots or faded hair.

He wore a red silk kimono with green trim and the symbol of House Hashimoto on the back. His hakama was green with a red sash with gold ends.

The door to the inner courtyard slid open. A Knight knelt at the door, and a 167cm tall Flower Elf, wearing an Imperial Navy uniform, entered.

Prince Hiro has arrived, the Knight said.

Takahiro slid his left hand into his sleeve and grasped the bulk of his wand. His eyes sparkled. Takahiro first examined the male, then the Knight. Satisfied, he blinked his golden eyes, and they returned to normal.

Leave us, Takahiro said as he placed his pipe in the ashtray on a stand beside him and stood.

Hiro, like his father, was tall, with pink hair and gold eyes. But he had a regulation crew cut. He removed his dark purple double-breasted tunic, five vertical gold bars pinned on its high Asian collar. The symbol of the Empire was on the left sleeve. On the right sleeve was the symbol of the Imperial Navy, a round black patch with a gold rope edge. Inside was a trident surrounded by seven stars. He placed it on the hook beside the door and then removed his holster from the right side of his black leather belt. It contained a P-17 pistol. On the left side of his black leather belt was a mobile phone beside a wand holder. The wand looked like a bamboo stalk with an onion bulb on its end.

Takahiro looked at Hiro, his light purple collarless shirt and dark purple pants with a red stripe down the side. His uniform was pressed, and his black boots polished.

Hiro bowed low and said, Father, I apologise for being late. I came as fast as I could.

Welcome home, son.

Hiro bowed and asked, Has the surrogate given birth?

No, they entered the birthing pool an hour ago. We can talk about your mission to Haven while we wait.

Yes, father, Hiro said, now upright.

Have you reported to Admiral Niemi? Takahiro asked.

No, Hiro replied.

✽✽✽

In deep space, the transport ship drifted. It had substantial damage to the forward section and the starboard side. The pirates had sliced open parts of the external hull, including the bow.

The crew of the black starship were western Ogres, each a 7-foot-tall, green-skinned towering mass of muscle with bestial tusks and a flat head. A hundred armed with large but lightweight, belt-fed machine guns raced aboard the transport in pairs.

Aboard the transport, most of the passengers were confused. All lights, even emergency lighting, were off. Unaware of the other ship, the crew worked, in the dark, to restore power.

Each wore a thick, padded combat vest over a dull grey uniform and night vision goggles. As they ran down the halls, they shot both crew and passengers. Soon more pirates from the warship boarded the transport. Many raped captive passengers while others looted.

A team of Ogres, in nondescript, grey uniforms, led by an officer, in a black blood-stained cloak, walked down the hall to the bridge. The officer placed a line of small, shaped charges down the middle of the bridge’s double doors and took a few steps back. The others ran behind him as the office took a few more steps and pressed the detonator.

The explosion blew through the doors and into the bridge. It surprised the bridge crew and knocked them over.

As the Ogres marched in, the Elven Captain stood and said, This is the Imperial starship, Hope. We are an unarmed civilian transport. An unprovoked attack is an act of war.

The Ogre’s officer walked up to the Captain and held her up by her neck. Where is it? he bellowed.

What? she replied.

The sword! the Ogre snarled.

What sword? We are transporting civilians to the Elven Empire.

The Ogre grabbed her head with his other hand and snapped her neck. He then tossed her body back against the wall. He turned to the Ogre beside him. Kill them.

Yes, Captain, an Ogre replied.

He and the others opened fire on the bridge crew.

The Captain went over to the computer, pulled the dead operator off her chair, and tapped the controls. No response.

The Ogre screamed and hit the console with his fist. He went to another terminal. The screen was blank. He tapped it twice, but the screen didn’t respond.

Search the ship until the sword is found, a month’s pay to the one who brings it to me, the Captain growled.

✽✽✽

Around the pool, three blood-witches watched the trio within. They waited in silence until the pregnant witch gave birth. The birth mother did not utter a sound and only shed a single tear.

The púca had a full head of pink hair and teeth. The Dragon sniffed the air. As Elves are androgynous, the púca appeared female.

The witch washed the púca and lifted it out of the water. Once out of the water, the púca opened its eyes and took its first breath. The blood-witch carried it out of the pool and placed a tag on the púca’s wrist. She looked at her smartwatch resting on top of her clothes and wrote ‘Hashimoto púca, 12:01 AM September 1, 11,562’ on the tag. Another bagged the placenta, clamped, and cut the umbilical cord. The púca did not cry. Instead, it looked around.

The first blood witch wrapped the infant in a red wrap and placed it in a púca-basket. She then handed it over to the first witch from the second trio. The second trio turned and headed to the house.

The first blood-witch and the third blood-witch helped the other witch out of the pool.

As the first trio dressed, the house guards escorted the second group of witches to the house. The Dragon looked at the guards before it slid back into the water and disappeared into the darkness.

Guards escorted the second trio of blood-witches around the house to the east wing of the house. They stood outside as the witches entered a medical room. As one witch washed the púca, another sat at the computer. She pulled an identification card out from under her robe and placed it into a slot on the side of the keyboard. The third came to take a mouth swab. As she approached, the infant turned to face her and opened its mouth. A little surprised, the witch made a swap and placed it in a small DNA Sequencer attached to the computer.

The witch came to take another swab, and again, the infant opened its mouth. She sealed the second swab in a ziplock bag and handed it to the lead witch at the computer, who labelled it and put it in her medical bag.

The witches laid the infant on the table and grabbed a nearby hand-held scanner. When she went to scan the infant, it held up its hands and feet.

The lead witch came over with a camera to photograph the infant. It smiled at her. She stared at the infant and then took a picture of its face.

The third witch took the púca and placed it in a baby capsule. The infant sat still while she strapped it in. She put it inside a scanning booth. While the lead witch watched the computer screen, the other two stood outside the stall. The infant did not move during the scan.

One by one, the computer displayed the images of the infant’s body. First was external, then blood vessels, nerves, muscles and organs. One by one, it printed each scan. Soon out of sheets, the device beeped three times, and then the out of paper light blinked. The infant turned its head towards the sound.

The lead witch turned her attention to the printer. The printer did not use paper but a slightly green sheet of plastic. She removed a small stack from a box marked ‘optical paper’ and put them in the slot. One by one, the thin plastic sheets passed through the machine and came out with the identification number on top.

The witch took the first sheet of optical paper and held it up to the light. It contained a collection of small holograms. Each one, the size of a thumbnail, was an image from the scanner.

During the brain scan, the head witch gasped. On the screen was an image of the brain with many bright lines and an image of an infant. The infant lay quietly in the capsule, with a smile on its face. She entered commands and ran a brain wave comparison test.

The results displayed Classified: Omega by Lady Toshiko.

Oh, she muttered as the brain scan resumed, and the results disappeared off the screen without her touching any controls. She saw the infant look up at the camera. The witch said, That’s odd.

One witch turned and asked, What is the matter, sister?

The witch at the computer cleared the screen and said, I have never seen an infant not make a fuss.

Nor I, she remarked before turning her attention back to the infant in the booth.

While they waited for the printer to finish, the trio of blood-witches unwrapped the infant and dressed it in a blue rabbit suit. They pulled the infant’s long ears out of slots in the hood’s side and placed them on a rug on the floor. They took turns playing peek-a-boo with it.

The púca heard, I am so hungry. Who do I have to impress to get a drink?

After the printer had finished, the first witch placed the first pile of plastic sheets into a folder in her medical bag. She put in another stack of sheets and printed another batch. She turned around and saw the infant had its hands over its eyes, then removing them and giggling.

While the trio in the clinic took turns hugging and rubbing noses with the infant, house guards escorted the first trio of witches down the granite walkway around the house to the iron double-gate.

On both the inside and outside of the gate, Imperial Knights were on guard. Each wore a suit of solid white full-body armour with webbing, which had a shoulder holster on the right side and two clips and a combat knife on the left. The holster contained an H-7, a sizable 13mm pistol.

The shirt had the symbol of the Empire on the left sleeve, and on the right, a red heater shield patch with yellow trim and inside the outline of a winged Dragon in yellow. Each wore a white helmet with a transparent faceplate. Most had three gold bars on their collar, led by a pair with four gold bars.

Each wore a hard backpack with a claymore sword attached to its side. They were alert. Each held their Viper-2, a bullpup 10mm caseless assault rifle with a 30-round coffin magazine, with their index finger beside the trigger. It was over one shoulder, on a three-point sling, at the ready.

Like the Hashimoto house guards, they all were female Flower Elves.

Two Knights lifted the bar, and then two more pulled open the massive gate. On the outside of the gate was the symbol of House Hashimoto. As the house guards escorted the first trio of blood-witches through the garden, the gate was closed and bolted.

The guard escorted them over the wooden bridge to a pair of doors set in the massive stone column in the middle of the cavern. A camera over the doors looked at the group. The doors slid sideways open to reveal an older female Flower Elf inside the elevator. She wore the black robes of a blood witch over the top of an Imperial Knight’s uniform. She had a single platinum star on her collar. Her hood was off, revealing her pale pink hair with a grey curl over her forehead. She carried a 2m long quarterstaff. It looked like two branches of Japanese blue oak braided with a faint blue jewel on the tip.

The trio bowed to her, and the Knight returned the bow. Toshiko leant her quarterstaff against the wall of the lift. She walked over and hugged the witch in the middle. Toshiko then took her by the arm and said, Come with me, in a soft voice as she led her back into the lift.

The witches bowed to her and followed them into the lift. The wall panel was a touchscreen with an outline of the tower. They were twenty-one levels below the Palace. The Knight tapped the screen, and the doors closed.

As the blood-witches rode the elevator up, a pair of guards entered the main room. They left with the kiseru and the ashtray stand. The trio of witches with the púca waited in the covered walkway. They glimpsed a squad of eight Knights in the inner courtyard.

The Knights, all of the Mountain Elves, wore a white double-breasted tunic with a high Asian collar and dark purple pleated skirt, with white pantyhose and white knee-high lace-up boots. The only armour was a stab vest over their uniform. They performed drills with a claymore sword.

The guards returned to the blood-witches and escorted them into the main room. The first carried a green book. The second carried an infant bag, and the third brought the púca, wrapped in a yellow blanket with blue stars. Together they stood before and bowed to the Emperor. Hiro stood beside Takahiro, who stood and returned the bow.

Emperor, the púca is extraordinary, the first blood-witch said.

Something not in the results of the first DNA tests? Takahiro asked, his gold eyes narrowed.

No Emperor, it is the púca, the witch said. She was so excited that she stuttered. With a smile, she turned to her colleague with the púca and nodded. As the blood witch with the púca placed him on the floor, the lead witch added, He crawled.

The witches took a step back and watched the púca. He looked around and saw Hiro. Hiro stared at the witches, then his father, then the infant.

Well? Takahiro asked as he walked over and sat beside the púca on the floor. The púca giggled and looked at him.

Are you joking with us? Hiro asked with raised eyebrows.

The Blood-Witches are not known for their humour. They take their duties seriously, Takahiro replied. He faced Kaede, knelt and held his hands out.

Kaede heard a voice in his head. It sounded like a deep growl with an echo. Relax, Kaede, I got this.

Kaede looked at Takahiro and crawled over to him. Hiro gasped, but Takahiro grinned as he lifted Kaede. He held him up and examined him, then stuck a finger in his mouth. The bite was gentle. Takahiro pulled it out quickly.

The witch said, Yes, not only does he have hair, but a full set of teeth.

Takahiro looked at the witches and asked, You have confirmed the púca is a boy? Kaede looked at Hiro and smiled.

Yes, Emperor Takahiro, the púca has one X and one Y chromosome. I assure you he is a pureblood Flower Elf in perfect health. He has all the Hashimoto genes, and Hiro is the biological father, the first blood-witch replied.

Excellent, Takahiro replied. He handed the púca to Hiro. The charter guarantees one child to all law-abiding citizens. He turned to the witches and added, Of course, with the witches’ permission.

"Yes, Emperor, even