Breaking Down the Walls w/ DarknessEmbraced666

[Razgriz]

Prologue:

It was the year 1098, the start of the Middle Ages. Oh yes, there were knights, kings, princesses, all the good stuff where one hears of the noble champion of the king rescuing the damsel in distress from some inherently evil creature of demonic origin. However, unlike those fairy book tales where everything works out in the end, the times were much darker and grislier than most would care to admit. Famine, plague, war and death ravaged the lands; humans were but a minority in most respects compared to the other races. And as the old saying goes: Don't look under a rock, if you're not ready to see what lies beneath.

Present day:
A colossal fortress stood imposingly on the horizon, its turrets and walls of granite and limestone blocks held by mud and mortar making up the majority of its architecture. A treacherous moat filled with vicious fish and home to nasty reptiles easily larger than a man encompassed the perimeter, the only safe passage being any of the three drawbridges that were lowered whenever someone deemed worthy could enter. Inside the overwhelming message of entry denial stood the monument to human achievement: The walled city of Evugid, a completely self-sufficient community where only those of noble blood or exceptional skill were allowed to reside. The rest paid homage to their 'betters' through the renting of farmlands on the outside of the city, giving a share of their crop and sweat so that they could keep their land and make the best of an admittedly bleak existence.

However, they were less reluctant to do so; the King himself ensured the safety of the lands his people inhabited, wisely using his skilled warriors and resources to help his subjects carve out a life for themselves. In the heart of Evugid stood the castle, heavily guarded by the Knights of the King, one Richard the Third. To even enter this castle required considerable patience, as was common for royalty. And especially so, considering how widespread his control over the Kingdom of Man was. And the situation itself was even more stressful, considering all the problems they'd been having with the other 'inhabitants' of the surrounding region.

He sat on his throne - a priceless chair cast in gold, rubies and sapphires adorning its armrests and back, the seat and plush backing itself comprised of the finest cotton and velvet covering - awaiting his advisor to come and give him the daily report. Soon, the man - one James Bainard - entered the royal chamber; the advisor was a man only an inch or two shorter than the king himself, wearing a fine purple cotton robe fastened at the waist and long hose, approached and knelt before Richard, saying "Your Excellency, I have some largely troubling news". "When do you not?" Richard thought to himself, stroking his chin in clear agitation before replying verbally, "Speak plainly, Bainard. My patience has worn thin enough today. What is this troubling news of which you speak?"

Bainard gulped and unraveled a small, tattered paper scroll; this was a compilation of things that he'd prepared for the King. "The town of Anvegad has recently come under siege from a Goblin horde. And the elves still attack us, My Lord, cutting our supply caravans and stealing from those, the godless heathens. The hunters near Knavesmire are still clashing with the Dwarves as well, along with several other towns out in the Wastelands". Bainard paused, then said, "But there is a glimmer of light in this list of darkness, Your Majesty. Gillygate seems to have successfully driven off the Orc raiders. Thank the Maker for their success".

Richard sighed, then said in a rather moody tone, "Good; you were wise to station some of our Paladins there. That only leaves the other ten or so towns still being plagued by those marauders". He removed the cap from his head and ran a hand through his hair, breathing a heavy sigh as he continued, "Well, what do you recommend, Bainard?" Bainard gulped again and said, "We have knowledge of the Goblin's general area of gathering, and Cerian the Fire-Mage would be well-suited to quite literally burn them out". Richard simply said, "Good, make it so. Tell him to make their lair a pile of ash and hellfire!"

He paused, then asked, "By the way...what of the Elves? Have we found any trace of their territory yet?" Bainard replied, "We have received word that Luca, the one branded a traitor, has been headed towards them. Clearly he seeks to find refuge within their walls for his crimes; they seem to love taking in our worst. But one of our most valiant, Sir Thomas Godfrey, has already chased after him. And we both know their history, m'Lord." Richard smiled, "Indeed; with any luck, Luca will draw his final breath soon enough. And perhaps Sir Thomas will find information as well."

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Around a campfire in the forests, Luca sat hunched over with some of his crew, the four men having been on the run for days on end. Other outcasts and criminals, trying to escape the persecution of King Richard Godfrey III...That bastard tyrant. They knew they were being pursued, that someone was hunting them...But they prayed for a bit of respite until they found the Elvish territory. "Great job getting us lost, ya git..." said one of the man, a darker-skinned bald male dressed in simple leathers and furs, a brown-haired pale lad replying "We ain't lost! There's supposed to be an elven kingdom around here, just need to find it." Of course, no one would ever find it; though it wasn't known how, the Elves mastered the art of hiding themselves from detection.

"And worse yet...We lost half of us trying to find this stupid place. Why are we looking to those dagger-ears for help anyway? All they'd do is lock us up and have their beasts rip us to shreds for their entertainment." said a third man, his skin an olive complexion...But before they could say anything else, a whistling could be heard. Soon his comrade gurgled, an arrow protruding from the side of his neck; and from the brush stepped a large armored being, the crest of the King on his cloth armorskirt, and the Imperial Eagle adorning his chestplate.

"You were a fool to stop now, Luca...Now you die here" said the Paladin, hitching a small hand crossbow to his side, a small shield adorning the arm that held it; immediately the dark-skinned male drew a dagger and charged him, only to find the Paladin's longsword slashing across his unarmored front, red streaking its edge. The mousy boy tried to run, but the Paladin just held up a hand, muttering "Divina gratis: Percutite eum" A bolt of light shot from his palm, penetrating the back and making his torso smolder as he was dead in a matter of seconds, his body crumpling to the ground; such was the magic granted to him by his station. And while nowhere near the proficiency of the Drow or the Elves, King Richard's Holy Paladins were blessed and imbued with knowledge of the arcane appropriate to their task. Healing magics, destruction magic, warding magic, they knew many incantations and spells to purge the unclean.

"So...You've found me. And just as expected, you've butchered these men because they do not bow to your precious King." Luca sneered, standing up and drawing his own sword; he might die here, but he would his best to bring this murderer down with him. "You have no right to lecture me, betrayer. You turned your back on the Order...Killed our brothers and sisters! And for what end? To allow these savages to continue to pillage us? You've seen the damage they've caused! You've helped the Order stop so many attacks! You and I! Why break your oath now?!" Thomas replied angrily, Luca chuckling, "And what have we done? Do you not see your folly? We are no different..."

But at this Thomas dashed forward, the shining edge of his blade nearly cutting Luca in two as the man would dodge. "You always were quick, Thomas; it's no wonder you have the King's favor." Luca replied, readying his own blade. "I need no favor; only my faith in the Heavenly Father. The crown and the Coven demand your death, and I will deliver you to it."

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The men clashed their blades relentlessly, hours and hours of continual fighting, the sounds the only noises in the forest; the Paladins were unlike the other Knights. It was a mix of magic and alchemy to produce one Paladin, his body blessed by the Earth Mother and his mind by the Heavenly Father. They were near equals, these two....But as fate would have it, like in many battles, all it took was one misstep to tip the favor of the fight. Luca was more skilled with his sword, able to find the weak spots in the armor and slip his sword past them, pushing through the chainmail as if it were parchment.

And meanwhile, Thomas - though skilled - managed to use his superior toughness to outlast...But Luca would then trip him, making the armored knight fall to the ground on his back. Soon the sword plunging into his chest. Luca's hair was mussed as he stared at his fallen comrade, breathing heavily as bloodied spots formed on his clothes, evidenced of Thomas' own success with the blade. "I will not fall here...Not to you. I will have my freedom, as was given to me by my own hand." he grunted, pushing the blade further in as Thomas' hand tried to stop it...

"No.....You will.....Not!" Thomas grunted; his sword hand then swung up from the ground, jamming the tip into the man's throat and nearly beheading him; a rough wrenching motion then severed the front of his throat, spattering his body with crimson as the man fell atop him haphazardly. "Yo...yoiu....." Luca tried to gasp, but for not; the light faded from his eyes in the next few moments. His body falling still, Thomas laying gasping on the ground. The pain of the sword in his chest making it hard to breathe; he might die here....But at least he would succeed in his primary goal. Luca was to die at all costs.

Pushing the dead man off his body, Thomas would just lay there....His breathing labored, his chest tightening as the blood left him, his grip slacking as his head lolled to one side....Indeed, this seemed it would be his end.

 

[DarknessEmbraced666]

Many leagues away from the great city of Evugid lay a massive expanse of thick, lush wood. This wood boardered the eastern and most of the southern boarder of the land that was under the rule of King Richard the Third. The trees grew tall, thick and strong. All of them older then those in the human kingdom could recall. This was an area that not many dared to venture very far into as it was believed that any who went in, would never come out. Only the strongest and bravest dared go deep into the forest. Either that, or the very stupid or desperate. As these woods were home to an ancient race of beings that many in the human kingdom feared. The elves.

Now, there were many different species of elves. From the drow, or dark elves, whow were known for dealing in dark magicks, to the light elves who kept to themselves and lived in higher regions closer to the sun. But the race of elves that lived within the woods were different. They were believed to be brutal, cut-throat beings who raided and attacked human settlemants close to the woods boarders. Heathens who had no gods and attacked the humans caravans and kidnapped in the dark of night. These were all things that mothers told their children about, warning them to behave or else the elves would take them. They had been made into the thing of nightmares for children. It didn't help that the elves from these woods were rarely if ever seen anymore.

At one time, the human and elven kingdoms had been allied many, many years ago. But after a falling out, something that the reason for which had been lost in time, the two had become estranged and hard feelings had given away to fights. All that was left in the known history for the humans, was that the elves of the wood had been locked in a bitter fight for many years before the elves all seemed to of just disappeared. After that, the beings fell into myth and myth turned to legend. But even so, it was still believed that the elves were behind the attacks and disappearances of humans along the boarders. For too long hatred and distrust had lingered between the once friendly kingdoms and Lady Fate seemed to believe, it was time for a change.

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Deep within the forests, wild beasts and creatures scurried about in the peacefulness of the wood. Some were hunting while others merely going about their lives. However, the ruckus of metal on metal disturbed the peace and sent animals scattering, the wilderness fleeing from the violence that they weren't accustomed to. For hours, the violence and noise continued, moving deeper into the forest and further away from the edges of the wood. Unbeknownst to the two men fighting each other, this distrubance had allerted those that dwelled much, much deeper within.

Deep within the forest lay the kingdom of Imhedell, the hidden city of elves. Unlike the great city of humans, which were built from brick and stone, the elven city was built into the trees and carved into the stone of the earth naturally. Everything was done in respect for the earth. Through the use of magic, the elves had woven trees and worked the rock so nothing in nature had died or suffered for them to live. Within the very heart of the elven city, the king Faelar Illithor stood within his study, his pale grey eyes studying a map that was spread out upon his desk. The king stood tall and proud, his strong and lean body draped in light robes of grey and white while his long blonde hair was kept back with a braid. He was studying this map of the forest and the land outside of it when another elf entered. This was one of his advisors, Ayduin. Unlike many of the elves of Imhedell who had golden hair, Ayduin had deep brown hair and bright green eyes. "My lord. I've just recieved word from our scouts. There has been a disturbance within the wood." he said, his voice soft and calm yet held a tone of worry. "It has gotten closer and it seems to of passed the wards. The scouts believe that it may be humans."

This made the elven king look up and glance at Ayduin, his brows creasing as he took in this information before shaking his head and looking back down at his desk "This should of been impossible." he said, his voice deep and strong. "No matter. Where are they believed to have been?" At this question, Ayduin cleared his throat before answering. "Near the lost city of Helathas." he answered the king. This made Faelar look up sharply. "Are you quite sure?" he asked, to which the advisor nodded. "Send out my guards immediately! Lossissë is out there!"

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Out in the forests, just after the brutal battle between the two humans had waned and silence began to once again take over the forest, the air was filled once again with noise. This time, it was the soft sound of hooves upon the dirt. From between several large trees, a white horse came galloping through only to be halted at the sight of the blood and carnage that was before the rider. Upon the horse was a rider in a riding outfit of shades of blue and grey. This rider was Lossisse, princess of the elven kingdom and daughter of Faelar. She was the beloved princess of Imhedell and believed to be the most beautiful elf in the forest. She had long blonde hair, much like her father. Yet where his hair was more golden, hers was silvery blonde, almost white in color. Yet she did have the same pale grey eyes that her fathers and her skin was fair and unblemished. She was clad in a long dress of light blue and a cloak of grey.

Lossissë looked at the scene before her with wide eyes. Never before had the female seen such brutality. Blood was everywhere and as she looked, she could see two bodies laying upon the ground. One laying on top of the other. She couldn't tell at first if they were dead, but they seemed to be still. Softly speaking to her horse, Lossisse calmed the beast before slipping down off of it and she hurried over to the two forms, not caring if her riding dress brushed over blood that was splattered anywhere on the ground.

Reaching the two forms, she looked at them before reaching out and she gently rolled the one over so she could see him better. She could tell the one of top was dead. There was no way the man had survived having his throat torn open, though he was still warm which told her that he'd died not long ago. The other form was still but she could hear the gasping and labored breathing coming from the man. She could see the sword embeded in his chest which told her that he was badly wounded and judging by all the blood, he may not be long for this world. Moving closer to him, she knelt at his side before carefully removing his helmet and setting it aside. Her long, slender fingers touched the mans cheek as she looked at him, unsure if he was still concious or not.

Her hand lingered upon his face for but a moment before her attention was moved to the sword buried in his chest. Lossisse moved her hand down to touch his chest which was covered with the metal plating of his armor. It was impossible for her to see just how bad his injuries were, but she could tell by his breathing that they were bad enough. So her hand wrapped around the handle of the sword and she glanced at his face once more before softly murmuring under her breath. A moment later, she pulled the sword out of him and tossed it aside. When she did, there was a sudden gush of blood and she gasped before she placed her hand over the hole in the armor that the sword had come out of and another upon his cheek again before she began chanting softly.

As she did, Lossisse closed her eyes and her brows furrowed, a faint glow forming beneath both the hand upon his chest and the other upon his cheek. If he was still awake, Thomas would feel a warmth growing deep within his chest where the wound was. It would get hotter until it was just on the verge of becoming uncomfortable but it was never painful. She was healing him, drawing upon the magic within herself and from the magic in the air around her to heal the man. To her, it did not matter that he was human. To her, he was a living being who was on the verge of dying and if she could save him, she would. "Lasto beth nin, tolo dan nan galad." she softly said to him. "Hear my voice, come back to the light." Her voice was soft and sweet, yet filled with power as she spoke.

 

[Razgriz]

Thomas could only lay there, at the mercy of the elements, his slowly fading strength leaving him pinned beneath the sword of his former comrade. It was something out of a bad handmaid's tale, a story written in the children's books to show them the valiance and honor of the Knights and the Paladins. And while of course he did want to live, what could he do in this situation? His arms felt like they were tied down by the specters of death, the strength not even there to move his fingers.

His head happened to be tilted in such a way that when he heard the soft pounding on the earth, his head barely moving to see a white shape in the haze of his vision; it was too blurry to make out any details, but he did see something else move in front of it. He had no idea who it could be, or what they wanted; he couldn't hear her as she might speak, but the sounds of her feet pattering on the dirt were clear enough that this person was coming towards them.

The pressure atop him lessened as his former ally's corpse was removed from over him, a slight cough that spattered blood on the inside of his helmet coming from him, as well as a pained grunt from the sudden exertion. And when the helmet was removed, the Elven maiden would see the face of a young man grizzled by a lifetime of service. A scar came up over his right eye, his chin clean of hair, the short chocolate locks on top of his head matted with sweat and dirt. Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, his eyes - near lifeless - seeming to stare up at her. He tried to speak, but it came up as only a garbled gurgle, a small spurt of blood coloring his teeth more red.

He could feel the sword being moved; and its sudden removal made a loud pained gasp leave him before he could cough more; her dainty fingers would become stained with his blood, some even splattering in small drops on her dress and face. He would feel the warmth, her magic helping to knit together bone, muscle and flesh. He would still need some form of care, but it seemed she had at least.

"Lasto beth nin,tolo dan nan galad..." he would hear as he was being mended, the sound like that of an angel; was this the work of the Heavenly Father? It was said His servants had song-like voices, imbued with His power, and he could not help wondering if this was his faith in Him being rewarded. And his vision began to sharpen a little more with each second of this healing magic, until he would make out the face of his saviour....

"An...Elf..." he breathed, his chest still heaving harshly; he recognized the pointed ears, the inhumanly sculpted faces; temptors in human guise, he had been taught over his years of service. He was still extremely weak, and would be unable to harm her physically. "You...were better...leaving me for dead..." he then grunted venomously; soon enough, however, the pair would be joined by four of Faelar Illithor's personal guards. Much like their homes, their armor was crafted in such a way that the harm to their lands was minimized; they 'sang' their plate from stone, and tempered it with freely available sources that would not dislodge even the tiniest of the forest's creatures from their homes. And unlike the harsh forging processes that dumped hot slag onto the ground that provided, their methods allowed the energies of nature to shape their armor. It was not as bulky or tough or intricate as human armor, but it was still quite strong and many times lighter.

"M'lady!" said one of the guards, a pale-skinned male Elf with ear-length dusky blonde hair said as he dismounted his horse, coming quickly by her side; this was the leader of the King's Personal Guard, Elrohir Rhuiron. He then saw the human, and her dress and hand covered in the brute's filthy blood, and scowled, "Your Grace, forgive me....But you should have not helped this...thing." Running a hand over his head, he would then say, "Even so...Now that you have...We might be able to get information from him. Something to stop these atrocious monsters from killing our people by the handfuls." Giving a snap of his fingers, he then said, "You three, take that mongrel back with us; throw him in the cells." Taking the princess gently by her hand, he would then say as he would lead her back to his horse, "And you, m'Lady, your father would like to hear where you've been."

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[DarknessEmbraced666]

Lossisse's pale grey gaze looked down at the young man as she spoke to him, the hand on his cheek lightly stroking his skin, one of her fingers touching the scar that came up over his right eye. If he wasn't so dirty and his skin stained with his blood, she believed that he perhaps may have been handsome for a human. He didn't carry the sharp, angled features that many elves had and he didn't have the typical fair skin. As he gazed up at her, she saw how his gaze was nearly lifeless and he attempted to speak, only for more blood to come up. She knew that he was close to deaths door and she would have to work quickly.

After removing the sword, she heard his pained gasp before he began to cough. As he did and she placed her hand hand over his chest, she felt warm droplets splattering across her face and she knew without having to see that it was his life-blood that had landed uppon her fair skin. But the princess never stopped pushing her magic into him, causing his deadly wound to begin to knit itself back together, starting from deep within and working outwards. Lossisse could only do so much to heal him, as she was still learning, but she would be able to heal him enough for him to survive until he reached the proper healer.

The princess spoke softly, urging him to turn away from death and return to the light and she watched as his gaze began to sharpen and he gradually started to focus upon her face and she looked down at him, meeting his gaze. He then spoke and she tilted her head slightly as he spoke the obvious. That she was an elf. "Shh, you're still badly injured." she softly told him only for him to tell her that she was better leaving him for dead and she shook her head. "Nonsense. The gift of life is not something to be discarded in such a manner." Before she could say much more, the sound of more horses could be heard approaching and the princess lifted her head to see her fathers own personal guard emerging from the trees.

They were clad in silver armor that gleamed in the light of the sun that shone through the trees canopy. Where the humans armor was bulky and made of thick plating, the elven armor was elegant, delicate and it had careful engravings in it. The elves used their magic and they had their own methods of forging metals that none could replicate. It was elves who introduced the humans to different types of weapons and armor, which to this day they used, though it had been adapted to suit them. Elven armor was crafted for speed, agility and dexterity where as human armor was meant for strength and power.

One of the guards who had approached called out to her and Lossisse watched him dismount his steed before he moved to her side. He looked the princess over, seeing the normally pristine females clothing and skin stained with the humans blood. The sight of it caused him to scowl before telling her that she should not have helped the human. "And my mother would never forgive me if I neglected to conserve life, no matter what form of life that may be." she softly said. Lossisse's mother had at one time been one of the best healers in their kingdom, yet she had passed away after she'd been attacked while out in the wood collecting herbs. The queen had been left badly scarred, both physically and mentally, so she had faded. She did not have the strength of heart to go on after the attack and both Lossisse and her father had watched as she suffered until she finally passed on. It had been a dark time for the elven people, for like the princess, the queen was much beloved. Unfortunately, none knew who or what had attacked the queen, so no closure had been found for the royal family. Thus Faelar had become extremely protective of his only daughter.

Elrohir then said that since she had helped the human, perhaps now they may be able to gather information from him. The guard then gave orders to the other guards to take the human back and throw him in the cells. "He will be properly healed first." she said firmly. "I won't have my work be for naught and for it to be undone." After she said this, Elrohir then took her small hand in his and she slowly stood up as, revealing that there was even more blood on her dress then could be seen at first glance. She had blood along the bottom skirts both from where the skirts had brushed through the blood splattered around the area from the fight but also from her kneeling at the wounded mans side. She could actually feel it against the skin of her legs from where it had soaked through.

The guard told her that her father would like to hear where she'd been and she sighed while gazing up at the elf. "Father knows that I come here." she softly said. "I come to Helathas to pay my respects to our fallen. This was where mother often came to collect flowers." She looked around them at the trees. Indeed, if one looked carefully enough, some residual structures could be seen amongst the trees where homes had at one time been and beautiful white and yellow flowers grew amongst the ruins. A sad look passed over Lossisse's face as she looked at the flowers, some now stained red and even crushed from the battle between the two humans. It didn't seem right for such sadness to be upon her face.

As if sensing her sadness, her large white mare picked its way around the other elves and pressed its velvety muzzle against the princesses cheek with a soft nicker. "Yes, I agree." she softly said to the horse while gently smiling. "It is time to return home." She reached up and patted the horses strong neck. Luckily the blood on her hands had already dried so it didn't transfer to the horses snow white hair. However, as she patted the horse, it became clear that she was tired from using so much of her powers. She was still in training on how to heal others, so she'd never used her healing powers to that extent before in the past.

 

[Razgriz]

Elrohir understood the princess' motivations, and she would do her mother very proud by saving this human, as she indeed held that philosophy about the sanctity of all life regardless of origin or ancestry. Even so...They had a kingdom to protect, and these humans did not hold their beliefs. He did not advocate the crimes that the humans had so wrongly accused them of, but at the same time he would not miss if a human fell down a ravine and was stranded at the bottom. That was their own fault.

And even though the humans had denied attacking the late Queen, it was a long-held belief by many that the humans were still responsible. And while tensions had been tough before, that single event served as another nail in the coffin for hopes of peaceful relations between Elves and humans. Though as she would give her orders to treat the human properly, Elrohir nodded, "Of course, Your Grace. He will be attended to by our best healer available. And you will need to have that dress cleansed of his blood; the only red you wear should come from our Seam-master's dye wells."

He meant her no disrespect, but he hoped she understood they needed to be extremely careful in dealing wit humans; they would never show them this kind of mercy. And Elrohir did plan on using whatever means possible to get this human's knowledge; a Paladin was a tough foe for even the most skilled of Elven warriors, so to get one alive was a great find. And one so strong to boot. He couldn't help being thankful the other seemed to have severely wounded him; the potency of the magic imbued into his body was superb.

"To the healer first then. Then have him escorted to the dungeons. And be gentle; his healing is still fresh." Elrohir would say, getting back on his own horse as the Paladin was thrown over the back of the other horses, his handling not as gentle as it could have been. "Should just melt this armor for ore; our foundries could use some quality metal." said one of the other Elves, gaining a chuckle from the other two; though a stern glare from Elrohir was enough to silence that nonsense. And from their the group rode off, Thomas fading into unconsciousness as he was taken to a place few humans could hope to find, let alone find their way back from.

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Elrohir stayed by the Princess' side all the way back to the gates; it seemed to many like they were riding into nothing but a clump of vines, but in truth special magics detected their presence and pulled aside the wall of thorns to grant them entrance to Imhedell's interior, the way closing up behind them and once more blending the magical entrance into the scenery of the savage woods. And unlike the cities of humans which cleared away and destroyed forests, the architecture of the homes, town centers and shops were harmoniously integrated into the scenery. It was like their existence was entwined with the natural world, Elf and nature co-existing as one.

Even the main castle was not more than a well-designed and flawless extension of the trees, very much unlike the grand palaces of human's kings and queens. But the splendor was no less than them; some human artists even theorized that their royal buildings were far more grandiose because of this fact. But that was only from texts that talked of the times Elves and humans freely mingled, existed together and even inter-married. All three of which would be unspeakable in this day and age.

Elrohir rode alongside Lossissë back to the palace; along the way they had sent word of them bringing a Paladin from Richard's forces back into their kingdom, and as such, measures were put in place to ensure he could not be tracked or followed easily, and their medical staff was readied to take him in and finish what the fair Princess had started. Two of his guards would dismount and go with the doctors, if only to be sure their newest 'guest' wouldn't cause issues.

"Go inform the King his daughter will be a bit late; she has to change." he would say to the last guard; the darker-haired olive-skinned nodded and went to the King, Elrohir following as she might go back to her room. "I apologize if I was out of turn, Your Grace; I only wish your absolute safety and peace of mind. Your mother would be proud of you for not allowing prejudice to color your thoughts and beliefs." he would then say as he walked beside her to her quarters.

 

[DarknessEmbraced666]

The bad blood and animosity between the elves and the humans was not unknown to the princess. She was older then her appearance would lead others to believe, such as it was with all elves. They were ageless. Time and illness rarely touched them. It was believed that they were immortal, which wasn't far off from the truth. The princesses own father was had seen many an age. He had been through a number of wars with the humans while she and the queen had been kept far away from the violence and strife. The king had protected them from the darkness that seemed to come from contact with the humans. The humans had only ever seen the queen once, a very long time ago before tensions between the elven people and the humans got too bad. She had accompanied the king to visit the humans once. This was before the princess had been born. Since then, the only thing that the humans had left were stories of the unnaturally beautiful elven king and his ethereal queen.

Lossisse slowly nodded as he confirmed that the human would be attended by the best healer available. "Thank you." she gently said before Elrohir commented that she would need to have her dress cleaned as the only red she should wear should come from the Seam-master's dye wells. This made her look down at her dress, seeing how the gauzy material of her sleeves were now spotted with crimson and her skirts were stained red. There would be no cleaning the blood out without possibly ruining the fabric. "While I have every confidence in the capabilities of our people. I have a feeling that even this may be a bit much for them." she gently said.

She lightly grasped the mane of her horse and gracefully pulled herself up, seating herself upon the white mares back while her fathers guard began to mount their own horses. It didn't escape her notice that the other elves weren't as gentle with the injured man as they could have been, but other then shaking her head and sighing, the princess didn't say anything. However, as the other elves spoke about melting the humans armor for ore and chuckling about it, a displeased look could be seen on her face. A frown tugged at her full pink lips. Luckily they fell silent at a look from Elrohir. Once the entire group were ready to go, she softly spoke to her horse while nudging its flank with her heels and the horse turned, heading back the way that all of them had come.

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It was Elrohir and Lossisse who led the group back to the gates of Imhedell, only slowing down long enough for the vegetation to part and reveal the path that led into the kingdom of the elves. As they passed through, leaving the dark, wild forest behind, the elves road into the kingdom. Unlike the forests trees which were dark brown with thick dark green leaves and grew wildly, the trees within the boarders of the elven city were much different. They were trees of white and grey bark and golden leaves. The trees themselves seemed to glow with the magic and life of the elven city. As they passed through the outer parts of the kingdom and neared the castle of the elves, things changed a bit.

The castle itself was a mixture of both stone and an extension of the trees, with streams and rivers flowing both through and around the castle. Where the human castle was a triumph of human ingenuity and determination, the elven castle was a tribute and showed the splendor of both nature and elven magic. At first glimpse it wouldn't seem as grand and splendid as the humans castle, but only one who appreciated life and nature could truly admire and appreciate the careful way the elven castle had been created.

At the palace, they road their horses into the courtyard where they were met by other guards and healers who would take care of their new 'guest'. Lossessi was dismounting her horse when she heard Elrohir tell one of the guards to inform the king that she would be a bit late as she had to change. This made her glance at the guard before she turned her horse over to one of the stable hands who would take care of the mount for her. Without another word, the princess turned and made her way up the steps into the palace while Elrohir followed her, applogizing if he were out of turn. He then spoke of how her mother would be proud that she'd not allowed prejudice to color her thoughts and beliefs.

This made the princess pause and look at him, her pale gaze studying his face while standing with her blood stained hands folded in front of her. "To allow such a thing to happen causes dark thoughts. While I understand the feelings that others, much older then myself, have towards the humans, I do not see a need for myself to hate those whom I've had no interraction with. I understand the need to precaution and warriness, even distrust for long have I been taught the dangers of the humans. But I will not allow my thoughts to darken with feelings of hatred." she told Elrohir. Her words showed a wisdom belonging to one much older then her, but at the same time, it showed why her father sometimes thought she was a bit niaeve. He thought she should be much more careful and he didn't always understand why she was always so forgiving towards the humans.

Lossessi once again began walking and she continued towards her quarters. "I do thank you for looking out for my safety. As for my peace of mind, I shall only have such once I know that the human has been completely healed. As a healer, like my mother, I cannot bare when someone or something is injured." she told him. As they walked, the pair, or more the princess herself, drew many a stare from other elves in the castle. Those who stared were shocked and alarmed at the state their princess were in but the calm way that Lossessi and Elrohir walked kept them from panicking.

By the time they reached her quarters, there were already several ladies waiting to aid the princess in cleaning up and changing. They were inside her quarters, having readied a new dress and even a bath had been drawn for her to clean the blood off of her properly. She stopped outside of her quarters and looked up at Elrohir. "This is where we must part ways." she told him. "I must clean up before going to see my father. You may report back to him, as I'm sure he is waiting to hear from you. Thank you, for escorting me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sure enough, the king was impatiently waiting in his office. He had recieved word that his guards had returned with his daughter, but some of the rumors that were already beginning to spread through the castle were worrying. He'd been informed that a human had been found with his daughter and the man had been taken prisoner, though he was badly injured. He had also learned that not only had his daughter ordered the man be healed, but she was seen walking through the castle covered in blood. This last one was most worrying. Why was his beloved daughter covered in blood? Was it hers? Was it the humans? And why had she ordered him healed?

Faelar paced his office, his leather clad feet carrying him back and forth several times before he moved to the large windows that looked out over part of the gardens that his wife had at one time often strolled through, his strong hands coming to rest of the ledge of the window while looking at the many beautiful plants. Not since before moving his people deeper into the forest had a human been within the wards, much less within the very walls of his city. It was worrying. Behind him, Ayduin was sitting in one of the chairs with a book propped up on his knee while watching his king. They were waiting both for a report from his guards and for his daughter to show up.

 

[Razgriz]

The human paladin was carefully lowered off the horse, some stable hands already working to cleanse the majestic beast of the crimson that so stained its vibrant hair. No human's blood would mar the creatures of the forest, not on their watch! After which, the horses were taken in to be treated for stress and fed to restore energy and vitality. It was all the Elves could do for the creature's willingness to be used as mounts. Unlike the humans who broke the horses into submission by caging them and forcing them to be ridden, Elves formed a compact with the wild steeds. In return for shelter, food and protection from predators, they would be allowed to ride upon their backs, several druids among their higher ranks using their innate abilities to forge a pact of trust between Elf and animal.

Elrohir nodded at the Princess' words, giving a bow as she excused herself and turning to leave her to dress in her room; with the human secured, she would be safe to conduct her own business, and as such he made his way back to the King's chambers. And upon arriving, he would see the King looking quite despondent; it was no doubt a shock, as no humans had even come close to Imhedell's borders in decades. And the fact that the Princess had been beyond the Kingdom's protection was no doubt an unwanted surprise too.

"Your Grace..." Elrohir would say, approaching a few paces closer to the Elven leader as he stood. Faelar turned around almost immediately, the worry of his daughter clear as crystal upon his face, "Elrohir.... Is Lossissë....?". "She is safe. A bit bloodied from her attempts to heal the human we found, but please be at ease. Not one drop belongs to her; she only takes after her mother's pledge on the sanctity of life." the guard captain replied, hoping to bring ease to their good King's troubled mind. Faelar breathed in relief, seemingly erasing the majority of his stress, "Thank the spirits..." The king bowed his head, letting the evening air cool his head through the window.

==========================================================================================================================

Lossissë's effort seemed to do much for the human; their healer did not end up having to do much. The wound was largely closed up, but the bone and flesh meshing needed some work; a relatively simple effort with how much had been repaired already. Though this human would have to rest, and luckily the healer herself was a good friend of Lossisse, and knew of her desires for peace between people. She would give this one no ammunition to work against them.

"Thank you, Irithriel; we shall take it from here." said one of the Elven Guardsmen, one of the three that had escorted the human to be tended to. "No...This human will rest. You will place him on a clean cot, and I will make sure he stays comfortable throughout the night." Another of the Guardsmen huffed, "Why such special treatment? Him and his kind have butchered hundreds of our people. Least we can do is get some retribution." The healer held up a finger, "You do that and Lossisse would have you dismissed. And I know you three are better than this; would you really feed the fire of hate that is in his heart?"

None of the guardsmen seemed please with this..But they knew the Princess and by consequence the King would be unhappy if this human lashed out because they struck first. "We know Paladins can use magic. Allow us to at least make sure he cannot use it here." Irithriel nodded, "Very well...But you will only ensure he cannot escape his cell using magic."

Once that deal was struck, the human was carefully walked on a carrying sling to the dungeons. Far cleaner than the human's own, it was still damp and dank as all dungeons could be. And after a quick changeout, he was transferred to the cot, allowed to rest as the healing magics and sutures would take their time to heal his injuries. The human still unconscious from the pain and blood loss, it would only be a matter of time before he would awaken.

 

[DarknessEmbraced666]

Lossessi was a powerful elf in her own right. Both of her parents themselves were powerful and she took after both of them. Her mother had weilded a strong healing magick with many in the kingdom coming to her for aid in healing more serious injuries and Lossessi was showing that she had the same aptetude as her mother at the healing arts. With continued training, she may one day match or even surpass her mothers skill. On the other hand, the princess had her fathers charm and wit. As a small elfling, she'd always been able to charm herself out of trouble... most times. There were many a time that she'd charmed one of the cooks out of a sweet or pastry between meals. Or she would get herself out of trouble if she muddied or torn a dress while out playing in the gardens. One look at her sweet grinning face was usually enough to get one of the servants to bow to the darling girl.

Now that she was grown up, things hadn't changed much. However, she also showed that she had great skill with animals as well. She had an amazing connection with her horse. The princess had been exploring outside of the boundries of the kingdom itself when she actually stumbled across a heavily pregnant and very exhausted mare who was having trouble birthing it's foal. She had used some of her magic to aid the horse and the baby that had been birthed ended up bonding with the princess as she helped to raise it. The bond between the horse and princess was close and filled with deep affection and love.

After Elrohir left her, Lossessi entered her rooms and the moment the doors were shut, her maids fell upon her. The princess was quickly undressed and ushered into the next room where a hot bath was ready for her. The other elleths were tutting about the blood that had stained her clothing and they looked her over, making sure none of it was hers before setting to work cleaning the dried crimson away from her fair skin. They made sure to get every bit of the offending blood off of their princesses skin and once she was cleaned, from head to toe, she was wisked out of the bath and dried down before they ladies helped her dress again. They all knew that her father was waiting to see her, so they couldn't fuss over her as long as they normally would have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was 30 minutes later that a faint knock was heard at the kings study door and a moment later the door opened, admitting the now clean princess to the study. She was now out of her riding dress and in a dress more suited for the castle. It was a beautiful blue gown with light grey and silver sleeves and stitching. Around her neck was a simple silver chain with a silver flower and vines wrapped around a crystal while sitting upon her silver blonde hair sat a simple silver circlet. She looked the picture of perfection and ever like the princess she truly was.

Hearing the princess enter, Ayduin looked up from his book and he smiled warmly. He saw the young princess like a daughter of his own and he was very fond of her. "Ah, it's wonderful to see you, princess." he said while closing his book and setting it aside. "Elrohir was just telling your father and I of your little adventure this afternoon. We were worried about you, little flower." He softly chuckled at the way her cheeks turned a little pink while she entered the room and stood there, smiling gently at her fathers advisor before she glanced at her father, a little nervous. She knew he worried for her and he knew that she took trips out to the fallen city to collect flowers and herbs for the healing halls. It hadn't been forbidden of her to take trips all the way out there, but she knew that her father didn't really like it. He just allowed her to do so, not only because it aided their people, but also because he knew that Lossessi went out there to feel closer to her mother as that was where her mother had at one time taken the young princess to see the flowers that only grew out there. The princess was nervous that she was in trouble with her father.

 

[Razgriz]

Faelar seemed rather glad to have his daughter in his study, a smile upon his face as he turned to see his fair Lossissë' standing there before him. Elrohir saw this and simply, "Your Grace, if I may, I'll be taking my leave now." The King nodded, the Elven Guard Captain bidding the lord and the lady goodbye before leaving the three in peace. This was a matter of discussion that must be had between father and daughter, king and princess.

"Lossissë...." was all Faelar said at first, before long coming forward to hug his precious heir and kin; she was so much like her mother it was a wonder if she had simply been reborn within Lossissë. But even Faelar knew that was not the truth; Lossissë always had a good heart, even if she was a bit mischievous at times. But it was never anything harmful or bad, just trying at times. Even now, he could remember his beloved's voice gently scolding Lossissë for dirtying her garments. Never a hand was laid upon her, there was no need.

"I'm so glad you are safe." he would then say, pulling back and allowing him to see his daughter in full. How she had grown; she would make an excellent queen someday. "When I had heard there were humans fighting in the Glade, I had worried...." His thoughts paused there; no, he did not want to overly lay it on her. She knew his feelings, so instead he took in a sharp breath, his eyes shimmering with near-tears as he fought down the urge to cry.

"As Ayudin said...Yes, we were quite worried for you. I know you are capable...But is what I heard the truth? That it was a Paladin you healed? What on this great green world possessed you to do such a thing?" he then asked her; it was not anger at her she would hear in his voice, but rather concern about bringing such a potentially deadly enemy back from the brink of death. Paladins, after all, were one of the gravest threats to Elves across the world; while their magic was inferior by and large to Elves, it was the nature of it and their brutality and cunning that made them such fearsome enemies. And he did not want Imhedell to fall because one had wormed its way within their walls.

 

[DarknessEmbraced666]

Lossisse nodded her head to Elrohir as he bid her and her father goodbye, the guard leaving the trio alone. While this was a discussion for the father and daughter, Ayduin would stay as a mediator and to be a voice of reason. He was usually the only person who sat in on these discussions. Especially after the loss of the queen. The king sometimes needed a second opinion and it was decided that Ayduin was the best person to be there to offer it as, while he was close to the princess and he was concerned for her, he also didn't have the mentality of a king.

The princess gazed at her father, lightly biting her bottom lip as he said her name. He then came forward and enveloped her in his arms, hugging her and she melted into his embrace. Her own arms came up and wrapped around him, her head resting upon his broad chest while they embraced for a short time. He then pulled back and spoke of being glad that she was safe and she looked up at him again as he pulled back and he gazed upon her. The princess had grown up into a beautiful elf, her beauty only rivaled by her dearly departed mother.

As he spoke of having been worried when he heard of the humans fighting in the Glade, she bit her lip a little harder before hearing him take a sharp breath. When he did, she met his gaze and she saw how his eyes were shimmering and she made a soft, sad sound. "Ada." she softly said, reverting back to their native language while wrapping her arms around him again, pressing her face against his chest. Even though it was nothing but elves who lived in Imhedell, most of the time they spoke in the common language instead of elvish. Growing up, she always called him 'ada', which was father in their language. It was her way of showing affection for him when speaking to him.

She nearly clung to him, trying to express all of her love for him in that simple embrace. As he began to speak again, she swallowed while listening to him and she looked up at him again and stepped back a step or two as he asked if it was true that it was a Paladin that she'd healed, asking what possessed her to do such a thing. "I did not know he was a Paladin, ada." she softly said, her voice soft and small. "I... I don't know why I did it. I came across him and..." The princess trailed off, a sad look on her face. "The humans were in the flowers and-and there was so much blood everywhere!" As she said this, her eyes became glossy as she shook her head, proving that despite how strong the princess seemed, she was still so delicate and she was too pure a being for the violence of the outside world.

The princess looked up at her father as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I couldn't just walk away, ada. It wouldn't have been the right thing to do. The loss of life, any life, is wrong." she said, echoing the very same words that her mother often said many times when questioned as to why she helped someone that wasn't an elf before the great war that sent their people into seclusion. "I know that you and others would say that if it were reversed, the human wouldn't save an elf. I don't want to believe that it's like that for all humans, but if that's true... Then we must not stoop to their level. This hatred.... it's bad, ada." The princess trailed off and bowed her head while softly sniffling.

A hand then reached out with a handkerchief and lightly wiped away the tears from the princesses face. Ayudin glanced at his king and friend, concern for the princess showing on his face. Faelar and Ayudin had been through much together, both having fought in a number of battles side by side and they had traveled to different lands together, meeting different races. In fact, they were actually cousins on Faeler's mothers side. "Perhaps, my lord, it is her powers that pushed her to act." he said. Ayudin's voice, though deep, was gentle and soothing as he dabbed the Lossisse's tears away. "If I recall, our late queen was sometimes pushed by not just her own magic, but the magic of our great land as well to act. And with the location that this happened.. well..."

Ayudin trailed off, knowing that the king would understand. The fallen city where the Paladin had been found was the very same place that the queen often went to in order to honor those taken by the war with the humans. That area was strong with its own magic. It was the glade where the queen had actually been found, though some weren't sure if she'd been attacked there or if she'd strayed too close to the boundaries of the wards within the forest and had been attacked there. However, the queens badly injured body had been found among the very same flowerbeds that the humans had trespassed upon with their fighting.

 

[Razgriz]

"Yes...The likelihood is not lost on me, Ayudin." Faeler replied, head bowed as he tried not to shake. The fact that a Paladin was this close still shook him to his core; sure it was just one, but even one Paladin was a mighty foe. Their accursed magics going against everything the Elves and other fae-folk stood for. Where their magic sought harmony and creation, the Paladins magic only ensured discord and destruction. The flames of a Paladin's wrath were not easily extinguished; even so, with one now captured, perhaps they could interrogate the human.

Even so, he would embrace his daughter once more, "Just know I am happy you are safe, my anel." 'Anel' was an outdated word in Elvish, one very old in their tongue, but it was meant to confer a great deal of closeness with a father's daughter. And after losing his wife and her mother, he wanted Lossessie to feel safe and secure. "As I said, your mother would be proud of you carrying on her legacy like that. She too viewed all life as precious; there was never a hateful or spiteful tinge on her spirit. I just hope you can forgive a concerned ada for his hard-headedness." he would then joke a bit, giving her a tired smile.

"Your Grace...I believe some food would do us all some good. Especially after today." Ayudin would then chime in, Faeler nodding, "Yes I believe that sounds splendid. What do you say, Losseise? Shall we partake in some of your favorites for dinner?"

========================================================================================================================

Over the next couple of days, the guards that had gone after the human would take turns coming down and reinforcing the Paladin's cell. The human had been since stripped of his armor and given fresh woolen clothes; the man's massive physique and the runes that scarred his body evidence of the King and Church's efforts to turn him into one of the mighty Paladins that marched along the lands. Purging all 'demi-humans' from the land to make way for their King, in the name of their God.

The human had still laid unconscious, the severity of his wounds and the sleeping magics Irithriel used on him helping the man sleep more effectively to rest and recover his energy. "Has the human still not awoken?" asked one of the guards, Irithriel replying "Not yet, I'm afraid; even as a Paladin, it seems a sword through the chest is a harsh blow. His heart has been repaired and should be working; you can see him breathe as he sleeps."

At this, a low grunt echoed from within the cell, the human starting to stir, his body starting to twitch a bit as he tried to move. "Oh...Well, how very convenient. Let us see what this human has to say." the guardsmen said, a small smile on his face as he approached the cell. The human sat up, his eyes blinking as he tried to clear the haze from his vision, looking forward and seeing his surroundings. "What is this...Where am I?" he demanded, Irithriel stating, "Please be easy, sire...You've been badly injured and..."

"Do not try to sway me with false empathy, dagger-ear." Thomas growled; the guardsman then brought up a palm and sent a bolt of energy shocking through the human. A small yelp of agony left Thomas as he collapsed onto his back. "What are yo doing?! You could kill him, Rathal!" Irithriel shouted, Rathal stating, "You just spent the last several cycles treating his wounds, giving him food, shelter and care. I'll not have you be disrespected."

Stepping forward to the man's cell, Rathal then said, "And you best behave, human. None of your brethren are here to protect you; you are completely at our mercy. You should be so thankful Her Highness decided you were more valuable alive than dead." Thomas glared up as he tried to push him back to sitting, his voice low as he said, "Whatever...you hope to gain...You had better kill me quick. Because when I free myself...Every one of you savage demons is going to die screaming."

 

[DarknessEmbraced666]

Lossisse watched her father bow his head and she slipped her slender hands into his larger ones, squeezing his hands as he and Ayudin spoke to each other before she was embraced once more by her father and she leaned into him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder as he spoke. His use of 'Anel' brought a small smile to her lips and she nodded slightly. "I am back here with you again. Of course I'm safe." she softly said to him, her voice barely above a whisper yet holding so much love for her father in it. She stepped back after a moment and her face lit up as her smile widened as he spoke of her mother.

Though she'd not been very old when her mother died, she could still remember sitting at her mothers knee while the older elf worked on her healing balms and medicines. Of how her mother had sung to her and told her stories of her travels from long ago, before things with the humans became so dark and ugly. Her mother had been a light for the elven peoples, holding nothing but love in her heart for the earth and those living upon it. "Of course I forgive you." she told him before kissing him on the cheek.

Of course, Ayudin chimed in, suggesting some food for them and Lossisse nodded in agreement. She'd not eatten much since their morning meal other then some fruit that she'd packed for her trip beyond the walls. "I think that sounds wonderful, ada." she said, moving to his side and slipping her arm around his. "I heard that the ladies of the kitchens were making some of those lovely apple tarts today." she said, her words drawing rich laughter from Ayudin. It was well known among the household just how much the princess loved her desserts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that day, Lossisse would check up on the human to see how his healing was coming. Several times she'd just stood and studied the sleeping man, curious about him but still wary of him despite his unconcious state. Thanks to a mix of both his wounds and the sleeping magics used by her friend Irithriel, he remained sleeping while his body healed. It was best this way. Otherwise if he moved around too much, he could undo all of their hard work to heal him.

Irithriel knew how the princess felt about the man getting better, though the princess was also aware of the guards dislike with the human paladin. She knew that many of them wanted to hurt the human for the wrongs that had been done to the elven peoples. Which was why the princess often showed up unannounced to check on the human. Just to make sure things were fine. After several days within the healing halls, it was decided that the human was well enough to be moved to a cell and that was where he was locked up.

When the human did finally awaken, it wouldn't take long for word of it to reach the princess. As it was, the way both the guard and the prisoner spoke and acted towards each other, as well as the way the human spoke to the healer would reach the princess and she wouldn't like hearing that the guard had used his power on the still healing human at the insult that had been given to the healer. Irithriel would tell the princess herself. After all, the two females were as close as a healer and princess could become as friends. Lossissel was also taking lessons from Irithriel to better her healing abilities.

While Rathal and Irithriel were speaking, or in Rathals case punishing, the prisoner, another guardsman had sent word already to the king and Princess that the human had awoken. When word reached the king and princess, they were within the kings study again. This time, the princess was reading while her father was in a discussion with some of his advisors. Since other day, Lossisse had stuck close to her father, knowing it comforted him to have her near. Especially after such a scare. Though she loved exploring, she understood that he also needed her nearby because he did worry so very much about her well being.