Trotting out of the paddock in single file, the elves headed towards the southern gate, past a few recently damaged and abandoned buildings. There was a large patrol of guards on top of the wall and on the inside, making sure there were no further incidents. This part of the wall appeared to be darker as if it has been set on fire, although how stone could be set on fire bewildered them.

The faint marks of blood still stained the walls and ground and even under their best attempts to cleanse it, there was a lingering smell to match. The grass and flowers in the surrounding area had turned black and died, most of them incinerated completely as if the very life force had been drained from them.

Terandriell had made it past the first set of guards with the others and continued out of the city. He noticed that everyone was staring at them, although he had no idea why. Perhaps it was because of how well armed they were, or the guards thought that they were the horse thieves. Most likely, the guards were just on high alert after what had happened.

The group had dropped their hands from the horses’ reins down to the hilt of their weapons and prepared to fight if necessary. The look of the guards said it all. They didn’t want to fight, not when the loss was so recent to them. Holding their breath, the elves continued forward out of the gates taking deliberate care not to gather any further attention to themselves. The only sound was the horses’ hooves clopping along the scorched ground.

The sun had brightened up the dreary landscape, although it was still low enough to cast huge shadows from the city walls. Outside the gates it was more apparent that something had happened. There was a small secondary graveyard outside the walls just off to the right of the main road. A large group of people gathered around it, saying goodbye to their loved ones.

“Must be the funeral for the guards,” said Kira.

“We should pay our respects,” Kara replied.

Felgourn scoffed at them and even went as far as to roll his eyes. “Waste of time.”

They wouldn’t normally do this but judging by the state of the wall, the guards had been burned alive. Most likely from the mysterious invaders they knew so little about.

Felgourn glanced over his shoulder. “There won’t be anything to bury judging by that.”

The group waited for three-quarters of an hour until everyone had dispersed, before dismounting and tethering their horses onto the hitching posts just outside the graveyard.

Striding to the centre of the graveyard, the elves, including Felgourn, knelt and placed their palm on the ground. By the time they had all paid their respects, six flowers of varying colour had appeared on each grave brightening the otherwise gloomy place. They emitted a fresh scent, barely masking the stench of death, but it was better than a moment ago.

They mounted their horses again and strode down the road. It split off in three directions, they followed the northern route to meet the rest of their elvish party. It took little over an hour before smoke could be seen rising from the forest ahead, barely visible at all, and they would have missed it if not for their superior eyesight.

“Look,” Yuri said, pointing to the ground below them. Numerous hoof marks barely visible stretched off into the fields in the opposite direction, some of which were much larger than they should be for any ordinary horse. Following the small dirt track up to the forest, they strode off into the woods in the direction of the rising smoke.

The trees were widely spread, but the encampment was hidden well within the deep foliage. The little green tents were dotted amongst the woods. Numerous elves were sitting around small campfires, far more than the force they had brought with them.

Trotting single file towards the camp, they were stopped by drawn bows in the trees above. The StormBlades halted, hands dropping to weapons or delving into their magic ready to strike.

“Lower your weapons, you fools!” shouted the familiar voice. The ship's captain walked out from behind a nearby tree. “Sorry about that, we are just setting up camp.”

Terandriell dismounted and led his horse by the reigns. “Thank you. Forgive me, I should have asked earlier, but what is your name?”

“Feineer. But we have been rather occupied, so it is not entirely your fault.” They had had days to talk aboard the ship after they had escaped, but Terandriell was too focused on staying out from the interior of the vessel and trying to ignore the rain that he had barely spoken to anyone.

The rest of the elves dismounted and followed where Feineer was leading, numerous new faces visible throughout the camp. To the left was a sparring field where some elves were practising their swordsmanship and archery. A few yards behind that was a small stable with around fifteen horses.

Many other elves were still constructing tents in the surrounding area. It would be simple enough for them to use a bit of magic to get the tents set up in a few seconds, but they relished the manual labour after not having much to do on their ship journey here.

They arrived at the centre of the camp and ahead was a large white and dark green pavilion. Terandriell went in, followed by his comrades. Inside was a huge wooden table with numerous chairs around it and piles of scrolls covering the various shelves at the corners of the room. A single flickering candle sat on the middle of the table to light up the otherwise dull surroundings. Its rays fell onto a young-looking female elf who stood behind one of the chairs. If soft facial features and supple skin could be classed as young by elven standards.

“I've been expecting you,” she said, gripping the back of the chair she was standing behind.

She stood just over six feet tall but still slightly small compared to most other elves. Her brown hair covered her back and shoulders, which was neat but wavy, and she had a small scar on her left cheekbone.

Her voice was soft but stern. “I am Arianna,” she said with a slight smile. “I have been waiting on sign of you arriving here for two days. When I saw Feineer here march out of the city with around forty or so elves following him, I knew it had to be you. Everyone has heard of what happened in Athaldris. I gathered a few of my friends and people I knew would want to help and set forth for Tuless. It seemed like the logical choice, and as usual, I was correct.”

The captain stood beside her. “Once I knew what she was here for, I brought her along as I thought you should meet her,” Feineer interjected as he sat on the seat to her right. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Terandriell said before turning his attention to the elf. “Arianna, will you and your followers fight alongside us?”

“We wouldn’t be here otherwise,” she replied bluntly.

“In that case, I shall leave you in command of your troops, and you shall be part of the advisers here alongside us.”

Drawing her sword, she walked around the table and knelt before Terandriell, bowing her head and offering her sword. “Thank you.”

Grasping her arm, he pulled her to her feet, feeling somewhat embarrassed at what she had done. "Anyway, I will need ten or so of your most loyal guards and you Arianna," he said, trying to change the subject, "to follow me on a quick mission. Feineer you will stay here as acting commander.”

“Of course,” they both replied in unison, smiling towards each other.

“We will depart in around an hour when everyone is ready.”

Terandriell headed outside, followed closely by two soldiers, they must have been Arianna’s elves as he didn’t recognize the male or female. He went on a brief walk through the encampment and the forest, until he found himself in a small clearing beneath some juniper trees. He sat on the grass with his legs crossed, the two guards standing behind him monitoring the treeline.

Closing his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness. He sat there cross-legged, enjoying the world and listening to all the sounds around him. The sound of the birds singing as they flew, the squirrels chasing each other in the trees, the insects crawling through the dirt below him. He could feel the light brush of the wind flowing around his body, the feeling of his own body as he breathed, the fluctuation of his chest as the cool air entered him.

He was completely relaxed, his hands resting on his legs. The scent of the trees and flowers around was a relief compared to the salty sea they had traversed the past week. Just as he was about to open his eyes, the darkness swirled and before he knew it, he was standing in the cave.

The dark, gloomy cave he had spent days in at the behest of the king. The fear began to overtake him. He was merely dreaming, it wasn’t real. He had told himself that before.

Terandriell tried to force himself awake but he couldn’t, for his body betrayed him. A shiver went through his entire body from head to toe as those two words were echoing around him. “Hello, Sweetie.”

Terandriell woke with a start and jumped to his feet, trying to regain his awareness. The camp slowly blurred into vision, and the nearby sounds gradually grew louder as well. It took him a few seconds before realizing he had startled the two guards behind him, both looking at each other with worried expressions.

“It's alright, I'm fine. How long was I sitting here for?”

“Just under an hour, sir.” An hour? It couldn’t have been that long.

“Will you fetch my weapons for me?” Terandriell asked. At his command, the two guards strolled off. It took Terandriell ten minutes before he reached the camp. He had a quick look around, making a mental note of how many elves were present. He counted one hundred and seventy.

There were numerous tents scattered around the place with no apparent structure. There were a few much larger tents, from the quick glances of the insides, he assumed these were the armoury, kitchen and Arianna's quarters.

He strolled towards the sparring field, where all the elves had abandoned practising with sword and bow to watch Kara and Kira spar at a ferocious speed. Their swords had barely touched before they were already spinning away from each other and striking again.

All the onlookers were entranced at the pair fighting, their eyes following every movement but watching on amazed by the ferocity and speed. The two sisters were unmatched in that.

Kara made the first successful strike as she managed to spin around her sister and knock her to the ground by striking the back of her left knee.

Kira quickly rolled out of the way and jumped to her feet just before her sister’s sword struck the grass where she once lay. Kira quickly grabbed a dagger from the side of her belt and launched it, it was blocked easily by Kara when she turned her sword side face to deflect the blade.

Both of their swords met once again as Terandriell walked up to them. “I don't think anyone could be a fair match for the pair of you. Well fought.” Both of them smiled, their swords still locked.

The crowd broke out in cheer and applause at the finest show of sparring they had ever seen. No elf ever had been able to match the grace and skill of either sister with a blade. Both sheathed their weapons while wiping the sweat off their brows as they walked over to join Terandriell. The rest of the elves slowly returned to their duties and sparring of their own, the sound of arrows whistled through the air and hit the targets rarely missing the mark.

"Are you both ready to depart?" Terandriell asked.

"Yes, we are,” Kira replied. “We have the horses prepared, and the others are waiting by the stables."

Terandriell strolled through the camp in the direction of the stables. Kara and Kira followed closely, giggling and whispering amongst themselves. Still, Terandriell gave no notice. All he could think about right now was the images in his head, the cave, the creature, the memories or visions it showed him. His parents…

The two younger guards startled him as they called his name. His vision returned to the real world, and he was aware he was now just a few tents away from the stable. The two young elves handed him his weapons and bowed before scurrying away to continue their duties. He quickly sheathed his two short swords at his left side and his bow and quiver on his back.

"I know that bow," said Arianna, half in disbelief. "It was one of three made for the first elven lords. It is rumoured to contain magical powers in times of need, and it is said that the weapon cannot be broken or damaged."

"What? This old thing?" responded Terandriell. "It's been in my family for generations, what makes you think it’s one of those weapons? If they are as old as you say, then surely they would be lost."

It took a moment before she replied, "My mother had one once. Many families were blessed with one object or another until the last war. My mother told me that after the countless deaths and the near extermination of our race, we secluded into our lands and closed off our borders. Urgost at that time, after his swift rise to power, raided all the homes of the known relics. No one knows if they were all destroyed or just merely hidden somewhere, but they are the legacy of our ancestors. I am honestly surprised to see one of these still exist."

Terandriell took his bow off his back to look at it properly. “It just looks like a simple bow to me.”

Arianna took it from him to examine it closely. “Look how old it is, have you ever had to replace the bowstring or repair any part of it.”

“No, but…” Terandriell started to say.

Arianna interrupted him, looking into every facet of the bow like staring into the depth of a diamond. “It has to be one of the relics!” she exclaimed, the excitement pouring out of her. “Did your family have a motto or phrase that they have lived by. The elven lords long ago had phrases they would mutter to unlock the powers of their weapons.” She handed the bow back to him. “Try it. Draw your bow. If you are a descendant of one of the first lords, then it should work, but then again it is all hearsay.”

“You seem curious enough about the relics, so I will entertain this idea.” He drew the bow and uttered a few inaudible words. Nothing happened.

“Well, I am sorry to disappoint.” Terandriell laughed, half disappointed himself.

“Shame,” she snorted as she began to move towards her horse. “We best head out.”

The group mounted up, Terandriell and Arianna at the head of the column, galloping two by two out of the encampment.

Terandriell and the others, accompanied by Arianna and her soldiers, made it out of the forest and onto the main road. The sun had risen to the centre of the sky as they trotted down the dirt paths looking for any sign of those who stole the horses.

Yuri and Azura had headed in a south-eastern direction ahead of the group. They were following the original signs of the horses they spotted before arriving at camp and were looking for any fresh ones, trampled branches, hoof markings or any other signs they could think of.

Terandriell was watching Arianna quietly and discretely out of the corner of his eye. She rode on her white stallion with such finesse that he suspected she had been brought up in one of the noble elven families. She did say her family possessed heirlooms, he thought to himself. It would make sense if she were nobility.

He watched her for several minutes as they continued down the cobblestone road, the dense forest disappearing behind them. The way her wavy hair framed her face, falling down her shoulders and her back, her piercing green eyes so full of life that he could get lost staring in them forever. His eyes started wandering down her figure. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

“Can I help you?” she said sternly without even turning her head.

Terandriell blushed, his cheeks turned red, and the tip of his ears were burning despite the cool air. Quickly apologizing, he slowed his charger and fell back to get as far away as possible. She smiled to herself as he tried to escape her.

“She sure is a beauty,” Felgourn chuckled at seeing Terandriell's face, “but don't let her looks deceive you, she is beyond ferocious.”

He fell back even further in the group, embarrassed and trying to escape not just her.

A flock of blackbirds were flying overhead. Terandriell wanted nothing more than to quickly turn himself into a bird and flutter off away from them all. He had done it successfully before, it would be no difficultly trying it again. He lost his mind in thought, thinking of the freedom he would have if he did, but knew there were much more important things to do.

The thought quickly cleared his mind and brought him back to see the two cousins galloping back at a frightening speed. The company spurred their mounts forward to meet Yuri and Azura halfway.

“We found them,” Yuri stated harshly.

“Good?” Arianna questioned as she raised her left eyebrow. Not sure by his tone. He looked ill, pale even to elvish standards.

Azura answered her question quite abruptly. His eyes glazed over like he had seen a ghost. “No not good. It's easier to show you than explain.” The two cousins turned their mounts and sped off; the rest of the group followed quickly behind.

They turned off the road about a quarter-mile further down, as they began to approach the area. The cousins began to slow, falling back slightly. The grass and trees seemed to wilt and darken in colour, almost as if Autumn had come early to this place. The trees had decided to drop all their leaves at once as they lay in giant heaps on the ground, all of them decaying quickly. The only sound was that of their neighing horses and the piercing wind. A few vultures were circling the sky far above.

“We should dismount here,” Yuri stated uneasily.

“Guards, stay with the horses,” Arianna ordered before handing her reigns to her closest warrior, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Terandriell watched her for a moment then blushed and averted his gaze. They moved through the dying woods, the leaves covering their lower legs and more still falling like snow from above. They could hear the hissing sound of the vultures feeding and fighting up ahead.

“Ishjaak, protect us,” Arianna gasped. Kara and Kira shuddered and turned away. Terandriell hadn't yet seen what was going on, but quickly moved through the mountain of leaves until he stood out from the trees and into the clearing.

Everyone ahead turned away from the sight and looked ill, Kara and Kira already walking past him to join Yuri and Azura.

His mouth opened wide when he saw what lay before him.

Death.

Grass as dark as night. The sky and ground were swarming with vultures fighting each other and pecking at the dead animals around them.

Countless dead animals, deer, badgers, foxes, birds were all arrayed out in a massive pile in the middle of the clearing, the vultures eating what was left of them.

“I'm going to be sick,” Jared stated as the stench of the dead creatures left him retching. The others pulled their shirts over their faces to try and cover the smell as best they could. Felgourn was the only one besides Terandriell that managed to watch, having dealt with death and healing his entire life.

Terandriell moved forward onto the field, his boots squelching below him, the ground was a swamp of blood. As he got closer, he could see the larger animals were missing limbs. Some had giant teeth marks on their bodies. He felt his stomach churning, the smell piercing his shirt as he still edged closer and closer.

“Don’t!” Arianna said, trying to get Terandriell to stop.

He ignored her protest and continued. The vultures hissed as he neared them but quickly moved out of his way not wanting to feel the sharp sting of his blade.

He could see it all, the animals had all been drained of blood, their flesh hanging from their bones. Some even had their skin removed entirely. Others had foam oozing from their mouths. Most of the animals seemed to have some sort of green infection running through their body, much like the badger he had saved outside Athaldris where he originally discovered the scroll.

It was all too much. Terandriell heaved and spewed all over the ground in front of him. His knees turned weak, threatening to fail him. He had spent the better part of the last sixty years caring for every animal he had seen, the forest as well. What lay before him was nothing short of heart-breaking.

He screamed at the top of his lungs with a build-up of anger and raw emotion, his entire body raging and filling with energy. His whole being began to feel like it was going to explode at any moment. His blood was boiling in his veins, threatening to overcome him. He knew he had to do something to let this energy out. Instinctively he punched the ground with all his might, trying anything to ease the growing intensity from within. The force of the punch broke a few knuckles on each hand as his blood began to seep into the ground.

Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes from the pain of his mangled hands. The build-up of energy coursing through his body then passed through his hands and into the ground itself. A massive blast of wind came from him and spread out in every direction with a resonating bang.

He stayed there, on his hands and knees, trying to regain control of his own body. His tears still flooded and fell to the ground below him. His broken and bruised hands were still inches deep in the scarlet stream below.

He managed to open his eyes as the pain began to subside, his body itched as his wounds slowly mended. Some moments passed by, and he watched as the blood on the ground began to disappear, absorbed by the earth itself. Grass began to grow in the clearing and the trees started to strengthen and heal. New trees even sprouted at a formidable pace where the dead animals lay, encompassing them beneath as a lasting tribute.

His anger began to subside as he stood up, his hands still trembling but he didn't want to heal them. He just wanted to kill the ones responsible for this treachery. Terandriell looked around and saw large hoof prints, three times the size of an average horse leading south. Gathering the information, he ran back to Arianna and the others, who were still where he left them, not daring to venture any closer.

Terandriell didn't even say a word. Instead, he just walked past them and got back onto his charger. The rest followed him and waited for his command, not sure what just happened. “The tracks lead south,” he stated. “I wouldn't blame you if you turned back now, not after what we just witnessed.”

“We are with you,” Arianna replied hesitantly, but the rest of the elves were still speechless. Everyone in the party looked nauseous but also shocked at what Terandriell had done, it was an impossible feat of magic. They took a wide detour around the area, refusing to speak for hours afterwards. It took a while for their spirits to lift, even as they did everything in their power to forget about what had just happened.

Terandriell led them forward as the sun stretched across the sky, barely uttering a word to anyone for the next few hours as they travelled.

“We should make camp,” Arianna ordered as the sky began to darken. “We won't be able to see the tracks in the dark.”

They settled in an area with a cliff to their north to use for shelter. A small stream ran alongside it, which was perfect as it gave them, and their horses, a fresh supply of water.

The mini-camp was erected quickly, the elves built a small fireplace and placed their tents around it in a semi-circle. The fire crackled on as they had a quick meal of various nuts, berries and fruits that they had packed before leaving. Most of them drifted to sleep after they ate.

Kara and Kira were on the first watch stalking the surrounding area. Jared, Felgourn and Arianna were all sitting around the campfire swapping tales of battles they had taken part in, and stories about their families.

“You know, I almost became a part of the King’s council,” Felgourn said proudly.

“Why would you even want to?” Arianna scoffed. “The man is an absolute tyrant.”

“You don't sound like you like him,” Jared smirked. “He isn't all bad.”

She gave him a sharp glare in response, her face growing cold and stern, “You could say that.” She stood up and stormed out of the camp into the treeline ahead.

“What's the matter with her?” Jared asked.

Felgourn shrugged before heading off to sleep himself, Jared quickly following his lead.

Terandriell didn't want to leave her wandering alone, so he stood up to follow her. He walked through the area in the direction she left, not able to pinpoint her location. What do I say if she sees me following her, he thought, especially after earlier? He shrugged and continued.

Branches creaked in front of him, and his hand automatically fell to his waist, ready to unsheathe his sword at a moment’s notice. He felt something cold touch his neck, and he instantly froze. It was the sharp steel of a blade at his throat he realized, not daring to move.

“You shouldn't sneak up on people. Besides, you trample around like a child. I could have killed you with my eyes closed.”

Terandriell relaxed as the sword was removed from his throat, his swollen hand moving to comfort the area. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay after I heard what happened.”

“I don't need you to look out for me,” she said abruptly, staring at his hands. “Why haven’t you healed them yet?”

“I don't know, I don't even understand what happened back there.”

She placed her hand on his without giving him a chance to refuse, and as her power flowed through him, his hands began to heal. “It’s not your fault with what happened to those animals, you can't punish yourself for it. As for what happened, I don't think anyone knows, it’s beyond the limits of possibility.” She moved her hand to his shoulder, trying her best to console him. He looked defeated, the loss of so many animals had affected him more than he admitted.

They sat in silence watching the world go by; the birds settling into their nests for the night, the squirrels burrowing into their homes within the trees. It was blissful compared with earlier. They sat watching it together, at peace with each others company for a few minutes. She stood without as much as a farewell and went back to the camp to go to sleep.

He sighed to himself, sitting in the forest alone. Laying down on a soft patch of grass, he closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh night air, filling his lungs entirely before letting go with a soft sigh. He ran his fingers through the grass, feeling every blade brush against him. I'm not suited for this warrior role, he thought to himself. I miss my forge back home even if I had no one there for me. Sadness crept over him, his dad had only ever trained him to be a smith. All his fighting skills were self-taught as he was never allowed to wield a weapon, only create them. He missed them both terribly. His parents, they had been taken from him too soon.

His visions darkened and crossed back to the picture of the field he witnessed earlier. What could have done that he wondered, no wolves or bears would have mutilated the animals so heavily?

“You really are easy to sneak up on.”

“Good thing I have you looking out for me, Kara,” he said, forcing a smile. Kara was like an older sister to him, Kira too, they both looked out for him after his parents passed.

“You know,” she said, “I was still surprised when you left the StormBlades. Urgost was furious that day. How can there only be six StormBlades he balled, he even wanted us to find a replacement, but we always kept the spot open for you. I think he has held a grudge against you ever since.”

He looked up at the night sky, watching the stars glisten. “We aren't all made to be warriors like you. Besides someone has to tend to the forest, I feel more at peace there.”

Kara came closer and gently placed her arm over his shoulders, laying her head against him. “I might be skilled with a blade, but what you did back there was...” she trailed off. He tensed at the thought, and she hugged him a little tighter than before.

The two of them sat together for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet of the night. It wasn't long before the cold air crept in even more, and they could now see their breath forming in front of them.

“You haven’t been the same these past couple weeks. What happened with Urgost?”

Terandriell shifted uneasily. She knew where he was, the prison he was in. The rumours didn’t do it justice, the reality of the caves was far worse. “The prison, it... it broke a little part of me. Brought up memories I’ve long since hidden.”

Kara sat silent, listening, her arm still wrapped around him. She always seemed to get through his barriers and make him talk, and her silence would make him feel he had to continue, to fill the growing quiet.

“There is a dark evil creature in there, not in the physical world. It could quite possibly be Azriek himself.” Kara let out a small gasp as he continued. “It altered memories, changed them. I can barely differentiate between the real and what was created. I…I killed my parents.”

“No, you didn’t. You would never. Felgourn has had success at memory erosion, he may be able to help if you can talk to him.” She smiled as he looked up at her. “You don’t have to, but I know what you are like, you will let this eat away at you.” She rested her forehead against his for a minute, a gesture of trust, respect and love.

A few minutes passed before Terandriell spoke. “You should get some rest Kara and tell your sister to go as well. I will keep watch, I can't exactly sleep anyway.”

“Watcher,” Kara nodded to thank him and strolled back to camp.

His visions of the past few weeks still haunted him. He decided the best way to stop thinking about it was to keep busy. The tracks here were fresh, it wasn’t too much further, and it would keep his mind occupied. It was somewhat selfish, but worth the risk.

Quietly sneaking into the array of tents, he untied the reigns of his charger from the tree it was grazing at and led it out of the camp, being extremely careful not to wake anyone. The creature didn’t utter the slightest sound, even taking care with its hooves, like it too wanted to avenge some of its brethren.

Once safely out of the encampment, he jumped up onto his horse and headed onwards. “I think I’ll call you Urialle, it means graceful in my tongue.” It took him a while to pick up the tracks in the dark, but his keen eyes helped with that.

They trotted on in silence following the pathway before him, although tired he was wary of every noise and alert enough to fight if required. An array of torches were lit far ahead of him, so he dismounted Urialle at a safe distance and crept the rest of the way on foot.

Up ahead there were two sentries posted at the outer perimeter, barely visible with the dark armour they wore and standing just outside the lit area. Deciding it was best not to be seen, he headed towards an unlit area to the right of the camp. Although all the torches were lit inside the makeshift village, there was no one around except those two guards at the front.

He could hear neighing in the distance and headed towards the sound, checking around the corner of every tent before moving towards the next one.

“Psst,” came a voice from behind him, startling him. Terandriell quickly turned, aiming his bow at where the noise came from.

“What are you doing?” Arianna said, frowning at the bow aimed for her chest.

“What are you doing?” he retorted.

She quickly glanced around before sneaking over to stand next to him. “Well, you came after me when I was wandering off, so I'm doing the same.”

He smiled at the thought and pointed in the direction of the guarded gate, “We can sneak them out, there are only two guards.”

She shook her head violently at the thought. “You can't sneak over a hundred horses out of what looks like a small town, they will make too much noise.” She had begun to raise her voice, then remembering the situation they were in she quieted down.

Terandriell smiled at her. “Easier sneaking past two than past two hundred.”

They crept towards the perimeter of the town wall, quickly clambering over it. The tents inside all stood over fifteen feet tall. They looked inside some as they passed by, noticing that everything inside them was twice the size they should have been. Tables that even the elves would have had issues using, axes and swords the length of a man. Everything felt off.

There was a foul smell, much like the area with the dead animals, just not as strong. They could see the paddock and hadn't even seen a single guard or soldier inside.

A horn sounded in the distance.

“They are coming back! We need to hurry!”

Terandriell paid no mind to her and uttered a few words to calm the horses, who fell silent in an instant. “I have a way with animals, I can lead them out easily.” Unsheathing his sword, he cut the rope holding the gate of the pen closed and swung it open, guiding them out and with a few more words ushered them to follow him.

The horn sounded a second time, this time much closer. Whatever it was, it was approaching at speed. They arrived back at the side of the town where they came in, noticing no other ways out Terandriell turned to Arianna. “We need to kill the two guards.”

She nodded, and they both charged forward as silent as the night. The two figures were twice as tall as they were and the smell of them up close made them both realize what had killed all those creatures at the massacre site.

Both beasts were heavily armoured in thick, black plate armour, covering almost every inch of their body. The two elves ran up and struck them as hard as they could with their swords. However, it barely made a dent on their armour. The beasts let out a loud growl like that of a lion and turned revealing their bull-like facial features,

“Minotaurs!” Arianna exclaimed, the fear clinging to her. It was impossible, they were the stuff of legend and fantasy.

The beasts were slow, easily dodged by the speed of the elves, but they couldn't for the life of them get through the armour. Dent after dent was made on the thick metal, but it showed no weak spots that they could pierce or cut through.

The horn sounded again. This time much louder. They had to be quick. Time was running out.

One of the minotaurs charged Terandriell with an enormous double-headed axe. He rolled backwards just in time as the weapon came crashing downwards into the ground, missing him by inches. The beast managed to get his axe stuck deep in the mud below as it tried its best to yank it out.

Terandriell drew his bow. Thinking about what Arianna said earlier, he muttered the words, “Fire and Steel,” his family motto. The white wooden bow glowed, feeling utterly alive in his hands like it wanted to fire on its own. Impossible, he thought. Maybe it wasn't a fairy-tale after all.

Knocking an arrow, he fired with ease. The arrow shot forward, whizzing through the air at an outstanding speed and travelled straight through the minotaur's thick armour and skull. The creature fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Arianna, stunned at what just happened, was caught off guard as the second beast kicked her with all its might sending her flying towards Terandriell. He knocked another arrow, quickly shooting it with as much speed as he could it destroyed the second creature just as fast as the first. He flicked his wrist, his palm aiming for her as it stopped her from crashing hard on the ground. He grabbed her floating body from mid-air and set her down.

A faint blush stained her cheeks, but she ran towards her horse which was stationed nearby and mounted up, avoiding his gaze.

They quickly beckoned the rest of the horses and rode off in the direction of their camp. Dawn had just begun to creep over the horizon at this point. They arrived back at camp to see everyone had already packed and were searching the area for them, they had heard the thunder of the horses as Terandriell and Arianna approached and were primed to fight. Noticing who it was, they quickly sheathed their weapons.

“How on earth did you manage to get them all back yourselves?” Yuri shouted above the sound of the stampede.

“No time to explain, get on your horse and let’s get out of here,” Arianna pleaded. “Minotaurs may be coming after us.”

The group laughed. Everyone knew that minotaurs weren’t real, they were the stuff of legend. The elves mounted up anyway and were riding away within minutes, back to the encampment they had set up near Tuless at a frightening pace.