Seven Races (gracedragon13 & Greeneyed23)

In every world there are rivals. Good versus evil. Light versus Dark. Magic versus Science. And so on. But while in most worlds rivalries are simple and easy to understand there are some worlds that make it much more difficult. One such world had a total of seven major races that are attempting to take the Royal city of Varlatoth. It has lain empty for centuries and though the humans, dragons, elves, dwarves, lycanthropes, goblins, and the fae all have a claim to the city, none are able to enter it the protective magics that emptied it long ago still in affect.

Of course when this first happened the seven races had gone to war but that had done precisely nothing except leave bodies cast about. In the years since the races have been trying to gather forces, prestige and prepare for the day when the magics fail. A uneasy but long lived truce existed between the seven allowing them to travel amongst each other. Now one of the elves, a dark elf named Crex Livom is traveling through the land on a mission of his own and having grown weary he decides to stop at the human town of Twiham and rest.

As he walks into the town he surveys the area carefully his hands staying away from the sword on his left hip and the dagger on his right, his shield hanging on his back his helm as well. His armor is light but immensely strong, like the elf himself though he is rather largely built for his race though all dark elves are. His dark green pupil and whiteless eyes are impossible to read by any but another elf. He smiles a bit coldly as he looks around the town. and shakes is head. "humans..."

Angharad sighed as she set about trying to sell the cloth she had so lovingly made at her small home in the town... She needed quite a hefty sun of money, since she owed a few of the men of the town, and in all of her eighteen years she had only earned just over half of that! And now she had but a quarter of it! She'd been starving herself lately in an attempt to make more money, but that hadn't worked!

"Cloth for sale!" she yelled as she walked around the town barefoot, having sold her shoes for a measly five silver pieces... She didn't even have a cloak! Just her shorts and a cropped top... It was all she could afford!

Seeing a newcomer in the town, she figured that she might be able to sell something to them and she began heading towards the newcomer who so obviously wasn't human... Then she stopped and peered down an alleyway, only to see one of the men she owed money to, and she began running, praying that he hadn't seen her!

he had. And he had friends. They took off after the small woman and Crex arced an eyebrow and sensing things were not aboveboard e followed. They had caught her and shoved her against a wall. "Where's my money girl!"

"Gentlemen." Crex sincerely doubted that any of these four were gentleman but..."You owe me seventy silver pieces girl lets have it!!" Crex took in the girl's appearance and he sighed. "Gentlemen." One of the four noticed him. "Screw off pointyear." Crex sighed again reached down and picked up a small wooden rod from a pile .

"Gentlemen." "Scre-" The rod crashed across the man's face. one. he rapped the legs of the two holding the girl to the wall. they screamed and turned to fight clutching their legs but he whipped the rod back and forth in blinding blurs across their necks then their heads. two. three. he twirled the rod silently. "Seventy silvers? from a young lady who is out in this weather dressed like that? what kind of animal are you?" "She-" "Shut it. Here's what im going to do." e tosses the man a bag. "Thats eighty silvers. you take it and never bother this girl again." "ok.." "And now you take your lesson for mistreatment of a woman." "hey now i-" The elf twirled the rod in a blur then smashed it so hard over the man's face it exploded in splinters. Four."

Crex turns to the girl and picks through her cloth. "you do good work. I'll take..well all of it. here." He gathers up her cloth and hands her another bag heavy with money. "Keep the Change. A very good evening to you my dear." he goes off. The bag does not contain silvers though. it holds at least a hundred golds. More than enough to pay off her debts and still leave her plenty to get clothing, shoes, and somewhere warm to stay before the snow came. Crex has vanished from sight.

Angharad was rather glad that the elf had followed, and when she saw him pick up the rod, she couldn't help but sigh in relief... She watched as he easily dealt with the men, then as he began looking through her cloth she was rather dumb-founded... She could only nod as he bought all of it then gave her a bag of goldpieces that was far too much...

The next thing she knew, he vanished from sight before she got a chance to get her voice back and thank him, or offer him somewhere to stay!

She quickly ran after him to find that she'd lost him in the maze of streets of Twiham...
"Sir?" she called out as she walked through the streets again, trying to find him... He wasn't human, so nowhere would allow him to stay under it's roof and the least she could do was offer to let him stay the night at her rather ragged home...

"Sir, you didn't give me a chance to thank you?" she called out as she made her way down another street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elf... Or that he would maybe hear her and come speak with her...

She sees several of the poor with her cloth happily stitching it into clothing or using it as blankets until they can make clothing. Some know he and one guesses at it. "If you are looking for the Elf he went that way." they point toward the livery stable. and she sees Crex walking across the street.

He does not turn moving smoothly and gracefully about to the stable speaking with the owner. he turns away and starts walking again looking around trying to find something not looking at Angharad as he walks along.

The guards have found the four men who are only now beginning to come to groggily. With their money in hand they have no right or reason to come after either the elf or the girl.

Angharad couldn't help smile as she just stood watching the elf... He was a rather attractive creature. She smirked as she remembered her mother teaching her about the races... She'd told her that elves were the most beautiful of all the creatures!

As she watched him, she hoped that the owner would be hospitable towards the elf... Any race that wasn't human tended to have a hard time in this town, a few of the poor had set up a business of sorts... They would be paid to help members of other races buy supplies and make sure that no-one would ambush them...

Angharad just stood at the other side of the street and watched him, waiting for a time that would be suitable for her to interact with the elf...

He returns to the group he gave the cloth to. 'Well the livery won't take me. Where else could i stay and get some food?" They begin offering suggestions but then others soot them down or they admit that since he's an elf there is no chance.

He sighs and looks around then starts eying the poor spots, little alcoves or places in or under buildings that will be warm tonight. He's likely slept on the ground before as a warrior.

Crex starts to head toward the poorer side of town considering if maybe the poorer places will take him for his money.

Angharad followed him, then as he seemed to be searching for somewhere to stay, she walked over to him and tapped his shoulder, a slight smile on her face.

"Umm, sir? Are you looking for somewhere to stay?" she asked before taking his hand into hers... "Let me help you? You helped me out and now it's my turn to help you!" she said with a smile on her overly tanned face, before pulling him down a few streets before the elf had time to decline her offer...

He smiled and nod. "As you wish. what is your name my dear? My name is Crex." He studies her. "what are you doing dressed like that? Aren't you cold?"

He walks along with her not fighting her at nor attempting to decline. "Where are we going anyway?"

"My name? It's Angharad!" she smiled at him as she got to one of the more dangerous areas of town. "It's not that cold, you get used to or after seven years!" She smiled before she heard him ask where they were going...

"Somewhere that anyone can stay for free, as long as they don't mind the noise of the brothel next door..." she said, failing to mention that it was also her home... She already had a few homeless folk staying there...

"A pleasure Angharad. Sounds like a lovely place. im not picky." he stays close unconcerned.

"Not that cold? It's about to snow and you are barely wearing anything. thats dangerous angharad. you would do well to gets some warm winter clothes."

"I will do, soon!" Angharad said before stopping to by a bag of apples. Then she lead the man up to a small bungalow that looked rather run down... She walked up to it opened the door, before walking in and gesturing for the man to follow...

"Everyone's out right now, and the bed sheets have just been washed... I suggest you claim it before anyone else does!" she smiled at him then pointed to a door

He smiled and did as she instructed picking some bed things up and following her. "What is this place?" He did not ask for anything to eat but his growling stomach spoke of his hunger.

He studied her thoughtfully. "how old are you Angharad...do you live here with your family?"

"My home... I let people stay here if they have nowhere else to go..." she said calmly as she grabbed an apple and handed it to the man. "Eat this?"

"I turned 19 a few days ago, and I haven't seen my parents in nine years..." she said calmly as she grabbed an apple for herself... "How old are you then Crex?" she smiled at him..

He munched the apple silently watching her scurry about with a smile wondering at her remarkable energy. his dark skin and pointed ears marked him well.

"Happy belated birthday then and many happy returns. I apologize about your parents though. lemme see how old am I...im not sure. truly no idea." Elves have no real sense of time as they live so long and don;t age so even goign by events means little to them as it could be millenia or seconds and thy would not really make a difference .

"Oh well, with you guys, age isn't a biggie is it?" she smiled at him before glancing around at him...

"You are a complete mystery, you know? Why'd you buy all that cloth, only to give it to the poor? I mean, most people don't give the poor folk a second glance, especially not those of other races! I mean, usually the poor are just toys to them, and your different? Any idea why?" she asked, smiling sweetly at the elf man...

Crex shrugged. "I was trained to aid those weaker or less fortunate than myself whenever i could. I have to admit his apple is not going to be enough for me. is there anything else to eat?"

He looks around curious f there is more to ea tor if he will med to either go out or send her out to get more food.

"There's plenty more food in the kitchen through that door, just take whatever you want!" Angharad smiled. "But for now I have some work to do!" she giggled slightly.

Then she picked up a piece of beige cloth and a needle, then began stitching an underlay onto it... She needed to finish a few more blankets to give out the homeless... They needed all the help they could get...

He goes into the kitchen and gets to work feeding himself by making a large meal, an exceptionally large meal and when the poor and homeless come to the door o window to smell he gives them quite a bit handing out blankets having caught on by the many in the closet but also giving out money with each making them swear not to tell.

The humans were very confused by this elf being so kind but the food was good and warm, the bread excellent and the blankets and money would save many lives tonight in the snow. Anytime Angharad was nearby Crex made sure not to let her see him handing out money.

Angharad could tell that the elf man was giving things away, and she didn't really mind... As long as the poor and homeless folk were getting something to help them survive another night! As she thought about the night, she looked outside to see that dusk was beginning to fall...

"Crex, I hope you don't mind but I've got to go drop these off!" she smiled at him as she picked up a bundle of newly made pale yellow blankets, then set off out the door, the cold night air hitting her bare arms and bare feet as she headed towards the town orphanage, her barefeet used to the pain of walking over twigs and rubble...

He shook his head as she left. she was endangering herself but there was not much he could do. And he would have to leave in the morning anyway. He continued his work though e kept portions aside for himself and for Angharad.

Finally the poor and homeless stopped coming and he sat down with a sigh, though a happy one, and began to eat his own food, a thick soup with noodles and his bread, though bread there was a lot left having used an elf trick to make quite a bit more than was truly needed as eh was going to leave it to help though he had sent a pot of soup and a large basket to the orphanage and watched the messenger carefully to be sure it got there.

Angharad finally left the orphanage after giving each of the children a new blanket and a hug, gathering all of the old blankets to mend and improve the quality of...

She couldn't help but smile as she walked back into her home and looked the door to keep the dangers and bandits of the night out, then she dropped the let down her top and smile as it laid to rest between her breasts and against a scar from the last night she ever saw her parents again...

Then she sat down and began working on the old blankets.. She needed to fixed them for the next night when more homeless would discover her... She was cold, tired and hungry, but she needed to finish those blankets...

Crex went to her. "Eat first." He laid some food before her and takes the needle and thread and begins fixing the blankets himself silently. He has locked up the rest of the house. He works at the usual blinding speed of elves completing the blankets much more quickly that Angharad could.

"So tell me more about yourself please Angharad."

Angharad looked at the elf, quite shocked that he was continuing her own work... It was completely different to how her father had described them, but she was sure that her kind were often made out to be soulless when in fact they were probably the most pitiful of the races!

Then she heard the question Crex asked her and she smiled slightly... "What do you want to know? I'm 19 years old, lived on my own since I was ten and ended up in huge debt thanks to my parents! If there's anything more specific you want to know, then ask away!" she smiled even wider

"Where are your parents? Where did you get that scar on your chest? " he rubs his jaw thoughtfully then resumes working on the blankets. "Why are you endangering yourself by not wearing clothes out there? do you plan on staying here forever?"

He sighed. "Also do you know anything about the seven crowns? Or where they might be located?"