The cave, where the Ritual of Awakening was done. Where children get their talent laid bare for all to see. The place where parents either beam proudly knowing that their child will have a privileged life or a life of hard work. That place is now a bloody battlefield. Guards and the masked kidnappers are clashing inside the cave and on the ramp leading up to the plaza where the skirmish started.

The guards at the plaza were reeling from the shock that the enemy was inside the town. Inside the heart of the town. The fighting has not ceased nor has the tide been turned enough to gain decent control back. Combined with the horns and bells of the city calling men to the wall because the city is being assaulted. Tears the guards into two directions. One calls them to run towards the walls. The second is to stay and fight. All the while Gelvian is in the middle of all this.

Gelvian, Levia, and Fang lay low. They are keeping to the sides of the cave walls. Gelvian spots a few children and adults being carried away towards the ramp. While he would like to help, to risk Levia's safety was out of the question. He closed his eyes for a quick prayer.

The cave walls are parts smooth, parts very jagged, sharp, and wild. He sees a few people hide in large cracks in search of safety. Some humans and the occasional dwarf who definitely was not the fighting type huddling their young behind them.

While he wants to hurdle into one of these cracks himself. Gelvian needs to meet up with his mother. She is their best bet at safety. As an arrow impacts a few meters before his face shows. The loud noise of battle reminded them of their real threat.

Levia clings to his arm like it is the only thing keeping her alive. He clings to her as if she is the only thing he needs to survive. Both gain a feeling of comfort knowing that their twin is here. Fang right along their flank.

When the smoke started to clear a bit more, he saw them.

A group of 5 people. A masked man with a staff and 4 broad muscles masked thugs. While Gelvian can not clearly see their faces he knows they are here for him. The sweeping glances over the other people. Their stance changing and the slight hesitation when their gazes met is enough to confirm it.

"Grab him." The staffed man said with a calm voice said.

The four men moved towards him with what he only could describe as a menacing powerwalk. To untrained eyes, this would look ridiculous but the men seem to have fought someone before getting here. But for him? Gelvian can not really remember to clearly what happened in his past life. His training and instinct told that these men had a certain air of discipline or the fear of being punished was strong.

Gelvian looked over to Fang but he has vanished. "Where is that overgrown-" No time to be distracted. Levia already readied herself for a battle. She has a hand full of sand ready to throw [Spark] at them. He took a defensive stance but the pain of his broken arm doesn't give him much of a chance.

When confronted with a larger enemy in a situation like this you can only do two things. Hide and flee or attack with everything you have got hoping for them to retreat. Option 1 is out and option 2 is sub-optimal in his state.

When the first of the men passed spitting distance. Fang jumped out of the remaining smoke and bit the man in the thigh before kicking himself off back into the smoke. The man shouted in surprise and before he could react to do something he collapsed.

Levia and Gelvian saw their chance to escape and made a run for it. They sprinted and right on their tail were the 3 remaining men. The 3 became 2 when Fang leaped again out of the smoke and bit another one. This time above the knee. He also collapsed. Gelvian turned to make sure Fang was fine but then he saw a bright colorful light fly towards him.

Confusion. Pure confusion permeated Gelvian's mind. Why is he on someone's shoulder again? Where is Levia? Where is Fang? Confusion gave way to sobering clarity quickly.

Minutes ago he was hit with light. The masked man with the staff in the back had shouted something and then he with Levia just dropped. Now he is on someone's shoulder. He tried to wiggle but he noticed they had bound his arms and legs. He saw Levia on another masked man. Fang was limp in that guy's arm. Both gagged and bound like him.

Creeping panic gradually spread through him. Did he slip up? Was there nothing they could have done? Should we have just hidden in the cracks? Where are they taking them? Why are they doing this? He saw the smoke was becoming a fine mist now. He saw a lot of dead bodies lying around and even more lying down hurt. He even saw the man Theos lying on the ground with a dagger still in his throat. Hands limp on the hilt. How did they manage this? How did they overwhelm us? Does this mean his father is dead? All these questions ran through his mind.

Again. Again before he could start doing a positive change to the people around him. Again the chance is being taken from him. With cruelty and unnatural power. He was powerless to stop it.

They reached the ramp now. Despair has replaced panic. I wish my mother was here. I wish father was here. I wish Ravia was here. Gelvian thought.

Ravia. Didn't she make a pact with him? To teach him everything she knows? To make sure he is safely thought? Is she dead too? Is his mother dead? Is that why they have missed her? Because she is one of those corpses now?

My old memories tell me to power through this. To be stoic but I can hardly remember important events like my death. Like the day my son was born. I am- no was a soldier? Am I still the same man when everything I loved is gone and has no name?

Why. Why is this happening? Why! Was I such a despicable being that I deserve this? Being kidnapped and separated from my-

I... Did this. I had done this too. My old life. For a moment the fogginess that his old memories were shrouded gave way to clarity. I had separated families in the name of freedom and security...

I deserve this. Gelvian says to himself inside his mind.

Suddenly the man carrying Gelvian stopped. The group was nearly outside but a wrist-sized spear made out of wood had impaled the man.

Ravia is further inside, on the ramp leading out to the plaza. Standing there one arm outstretched with one hand forming an L. Her Breath was heavier than usual. Her druidic garments were torn and bloody. Sweat dripped from her forehead.

The wooden spear had shot out from the ground through the back and out the front of the chest of the masked man whose heart had been impaled and as a result destroyed.

"How about you let these people go?" Ravia said with a slight smile as she approached. Under the mask of calm, she was strained to the people who knew her.

"I rather not." The masked mage walked next to Gelvian. "It cuts too much into profits and our reputation."

"Reputation? So are you one of those organizations?" Ravia's face formed a sour scowl. "You are kidnappers and slavers." She stated. Gelvian saw Ravia's eyes glow bright green as she looked at Gelvian. He felt as if a connection that had been there the entire time was strengthened. A fine hovering line starting above her heart leading to his chest was visible to Gelvian. He felt the feeling of warmth and safety go through him for a small moment.

The masked mage and the remaining thugs moved through the line as if it was not there.

"I warn you, Druid. I will kill one of those children should you approach further." The masked man stated.

"You wouldn't dare." Ravia's voice was filled with barely restrained fury.

"I would dare." He motioned to the remaining two men to drop Levia next to Gelvian.

"If you value their life you accept your death." The mage coldly stated.

Ravia's face shifted from cold anger to a serene calm.

She wouldn't give up her life like this? Gelvian thought before he could continue thinking everything happened too fast for him to register properly.

As the man formed signs and bolt of fire sprang from his palm. Gelvian and Levia were being swallowed by the earth. Ravia at the same time formed a shield wall out of wood. The sound of wood splitting and wood groaning filled the ramp. A distorted sound of fire crackling wood was surrounding the ramp. The shouts of men and the supplement screams of pain and death followed.

A few heartbeats later everything was silent. Gelvian only saw darkness and felt cold stone and someone's shoulder rubbing. Levia is most likely awake now. In this pure darkness, he tried listening but he heard nothing.

And after around what felt like a small eternity. He saw something at the corner of his eye. He saw the faint line from before leading to the surface. He began concentrating on it. Ravia told him that he needs to concentrate on pretty much everything a druid does. "Only with experience can you feel the energy even when distracted." The pain in his broken arm is still there but now he has a focus. This faint line connects to Ravia.

He felt his mind focusing on it. She said that this pact was something special. Pacts like these arent done to everyone. This pact is beneficial mostly for the student. The teacher benefits too but not as directly as the students. He only lacks the experience, knowledge, and sometimes talent to feel the natural energies. After the awakening, he felt weird as if something had been removed. Similar to the first time riding a bicycle without support wheels. He had more control. He could steer himself easier.

He felt sweat run down his face. He feels vibrations coming above him. The guards and bandits are very still likely fighting. Levia tries to speak but she has been gagged. She accidentally bumped into his broken arms but no noise came from Gelvian.

My concentration is failing. Remember. To feel the talent. To feel what you can influence. As if to answer him he felt the thin line thicken in his mind. It is becoming stronger. He knows it. The line isn't a single one anymore. Two lines now. Four. Eight. Sixteen. Twentyfour. Stronger. Thicker. More solid.

He now feels himself moving along the path. The previous thin line is now a pathway. As if his instincts tell him that it is safe to traverse. Yes. He feels himself wander along the thickening lines towards Ravia.

Through the stone, through the soil. Through the wooden cacoon. Through the dead man. Through the air. Through towards the stench of thick blood.

Now his path feels as if it becoming weaker. Something is pulling on the other end. In the beginning slowly but how it is as if something yanked the ground beneath his feet. He was now back in the cacoon.

His breath is heavily labored as if he had sprinted an entire marathon without stopping. He felt the exhaustion overtake him. His eyes fell shut. He needs to rest.

"This boy-" Ravia slowly exhaled. "How did he manage that already." She lays on the ground with a pool of blood around her abdomen. Next to her laid the body of a masked man. "I wished I could have taken that mage with me." Ravia reflected back on her fight. She had pulled Gelvian, Levia, and Fang beneath the ground for protection and blocked the attack aimed at her. Then it was pure mayhem. Spells flew and the bodied fell. The mage somehow survived her taking off parts of his head.

"His brain was clear to see! How did-" She groaned in pain. The mage had duped her with his so-called defeat. He has gotten a good stab at her she in return impaled his chest with a wooden stake. That bastard dared to still move. He wasn't a vampire. That was for sure. Him running outside onto the sunny plaza with a stake inside his chest was a sure sign he wasn't one.

"He was hurt. He ran. That is good enough for me. That means he can be killed." Ravia returned her attention to her now closed wound. The skin there is an angry red. "I did not have a lot of energy left," the surprise attack and the constant barrage of thugs had weakened her considerably. She could only manage a quick fix. That will leave a scar Ravia mused.

"He managed to gift me enough of his energy me. So I could heal myself. Gods damn. The rascal has the gal to be frustrated when he doesn't get a concept or understands a spell right away." Ravia tried pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Time to get them out," A sharp pain told her she still doesn't have the stamina to do anything. She laid herself back. "Maybe one minute?" She righted herself back up. "Wait. I don't need to get them out now, they need air." She formed a sign of the hawk and mole. 10 Coin-sized holes formed in the ground reinforced by wooden canals. She crawled next to the holes and laid there Resting. " A bit crude for my taste but better than suffocating."

As she turns her ears to the city she felt the sounds of fighting slowly recede until it was replaced with cries of cheers mixed with the cries of rage.

"It seems your Father," She took a few measured breaths before continuing "little ones, has won." It doesn't feel like a win for her. She doesn't dare to count the dead lying around the plaza and inside the cave. "This will have consequences. Major ones if we are unlucky or lucky depending on who profits."

She saw the escape of the attackers. A few children and adults had been carried off into the middle of the plaza and the bastard mage threw a potion of some kind and a strong wind burst swept through the plaza. Lifting their gilders high above the town and out of reach of archers.

A good plan she had to admit. Land in the middle of the city shock and awe the guards. Take what you can before they recover from their moment of shock and get out. She heard the voice of Levia.

"Hello! Can anyone hear me! My brother is hurt! We need help!" Levia shouted while muffled could reach Ravia clear enough.

"Ten minutes. If you can hear me little ones. Ten minutes. Then I get you out." She sighed. "Don't worry too much." She must have gotten that gag of herself. "He has a broken arm and is exhausted." She concentrated on her connection to make sure. " He is just sleepy Levia." As is she.

On the other side of the city at the second wall of Cainyorf. A slightly confused Darius sits on the body of the human-ogre. The ogre is a pincushion. Most of the officers are gathered around him.

"Voice of the Kingdoms." An armored elf nodded. "We swept through the wall. We asked the returning outriders." He looked down as if unsure how this all happened.

"They were no more than 1000 attackers."

Darius felt cold. After the wall was breached he was sure the enemy had more than enough to push them back for at least the third of the fourth wall. No more than 1000 men.

The shouting and crying in the skies already told him what this assault was. A distraction. Elves and visitors all around Cainyorf had been kidnapped under their very noses. As he heard from the first reports.

"Anything from the captured bandits?" Darius asked.

"No. Voice of the Kingdoms."

"Call me Darius." I have failed our brother and sisters. He doesn't deserve the title. But he won't say it for the sake of moral.

"Send people we can spare the center. We need to start cleaning up. Prepare for an assault. Just in case." Darius turned to the mountains. This was too organized. This feels like a prelude to war.

"Also, call for a council meeting for this evening. We need to take action."

81 elves dead and countless innocents dead or hurt.

His nickname from the old days at the Great Ravens came back to his mind. Darius the Caretaker or simply Carius. Oh, how he liked to wear the nickname with pride but now he feels as if has disappointed everyone.