The interior of the city was just as gloomy looking as the outside. The streets themselves had no apparent structure to them, twisting and turning in every direction like a maze. They passed very few civilians in the streets, most of which seemed ill and wore chains around their feet and wrists. The elves could all feel the hatred burning inside them of the deathly conditions in the city, and how the people were being treated.

Terandriell was especially upset about it, now understanding why the Queen had wanted his word that he wouldn't lash out. It took all his self-control. He promised himself that once everything had been said and done, he would fix this place. He imagined himself with an army of elves at his back, seizing this city and freeing the captives.

They had reached the extensive training grounds for the soldiers, situated near the keep. Numerous slaves were shovelling the snow away but to little avail. The snow was falling faster than they could remove it, yet they had been ordered to keep trying anyway. They wore no furs to keep them from the cold, barely any clothes at all. They were all freezing to death. Two had already passed out at the side of the grounds and were being dragged away.

Terandriell felt a slight tinge of magic waving over the ground and caught Arianna winking at him. The snow began melting from underneath, slow enough as not to arouse too much suspicion but it would clear in a matter of minutes and prevent any fresh snow from piling up.

“Dismount here, we will station the horses in the stables to our left. You may enter with ten guards only. The rest can wait inside the barracks.”

The Queen turned to Jason in a hushed tone. “Bring six guards, I want a few elves with us too.” She rode quickly over to Terandriell. “They are only allowing ten of us inside, I want you and two of your elves with us. I quite like Arianna if she can be one.” She was hoping that if Terandriell was in the presence of a few of his own people, that he would be better behaved and not cause any unnecessary trouble around this King. He looked over to Arianna and then to Kara, nodding at them both to follow.

The bald man clapped his hands, and his men began directing the soldiers into the barracks. It wasn't issued as a request. They were forced into the cramped barracks, like pigs to slaughter. The Queen was the last to dismount as she headed towards the looming black doors of the castle. Many of the windows in the towers were cracked, stones and slates were missing from all over the castle roofs.

The castle was in as much disarray as the rest of the city, with an eerie feeling surrounding it. Almost like some ancient evil lurked here. From what she had heard that's precisely what King Theradres was. The ten warriors and the Queen entered through the dark gate, closely followed by fifty of the King’s pikemen. The rest were outside 'defending' the barracks.

“The King is this way, lady.” The bald man led them towards the throne room. The Queen looked over at Jason, who was already looking her way. He just shrugged slightly. Lady, she thought to herself. She hadn't been called a lady since she was nine. She was a Queen, and before that a Princess. Not a lady.

She shrugged the comment off, knowing to expect much worse here. The walls were much like her own castle, adorned with numerous paintings and tapestries. However, most of which was covered in cobwebs or damaged from neglect. This was a grand castle once, but no longer held the respect that it used too.

“Just along this corridor, girl. We are nearly there.” Girl? The Queen knew he was trying to get a rise out of her. She simply kept her head high and kept walking onwards, ignoring his comment.

The door ahead was guarded by ten more soldiers. She dreaded to see the conditions of the throne room inside. The doors swung inwards moments later, revealing the inside room was immaculate. The golden pillars holding the roof in place were gleaming, the very floor shining like a thousand stars. Grand statues sat around the outside of the room, guarding numerous ancient paintings and secret passageways. And there, perched atop his golden throne, was King Theradres.

She couldn't judge his age exactly it had been a few years since she had seen him last, but from her assumption that the two younger men sitting by his side were his sons, he must have been late fifties. A single scar ran from his forehead down to his cheekbone, narrowly missing his left eye. His eyes were endless dark pits. She could feel them wandering over her body, searching every part inch by inch. His wiry smile unnerved her. His long greasy hair fell in tangles down his head and onto his shoulders.

“Greetings my queen.” His deep voice pierced her very soul. She already knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant meeting. “Come, sit.” Was his order. His throne was sitting atop a platform with a few steps leading up to it, and at the base of that was a small wooden stool.

Jason looked toward her. “We can leave if you wish. We don't need his men this much.” She stepped forward with as much grace as she could muster. Stopping before she reached the stool. He wanted her to sit on it, a show of strength to diminish her.

“King Theradres. Is there somewhere we can talk more privately.”

“We are talking right now, aren't we?” His smile turned devious. The older of the two sons at his back sniggered quietly. Queen Elspeth stood defiantly, this was a test, and she was not about to give in to this horrid man. His smirk slowly diminished as the Queen didn't move, she had won battles of will against better men.

“Very well,” he sighed, “follow me.” He led the group to a small door at the edges of the throne room. Opening the door, he revealed the room to the guests. He stood to the side to let them get a better view. Within was a rather large table, littered with books and unlit candles. Like the rest of the castle, it looked like the room hadn't been used for years. It was covered in dust and had an overpowering foul stench to match. He beckoned the Queen to enter first. She hesitated for a moment before moving forward into the room.

“You have quite a tight arse,” he said, with hint of a laugh. Queen Elspeth clenched her eyes shut, trying her best to control her disgust. He was at least twice her age, and a vile man. No one else would have ever dared make such a comment. Jason didn’t know what to do as his hand instinctively fell to his sword. She wouldn’t blame him if he withdrew his weapon and ran it through the Southerner’s heart.

The table ahead had one chair at the head and the rest haphazardly scattered around it. The Queen walked up and sat down at the head of the table, feeling slightly proud of herself. The King’s face turned a shade of red but he didn’t say a word. Jason sat to the left of the queen, and Terandriell took the seat directly facing him so that the King could not sit next to her.

“So, why have you come?” asked King Theradres. Some slaves had come in to light the candles and make the room look a little more presentable, not that they would be able to achieve their goal. Straight to the point, the Queen thought, maybe this will be over quicker than I hope.

“King Ther...”

“Have you come to answer the crimes you have committed against my people?”

This caught her completely off guard as she stumbled for her words. “I'm sorry, what?” she asked, almost unsure if she wanted to give him a response.

“Well, where do you want me to start. How about the death of my soldiers at the Arituki Temple. Or the slaughter of thousands of my men no less than a week ago?” Despite what he was saying, he looked genuine.

She looked at him, dumbstruck. Surely, he couldn't believe this. But he seemed to be convinced with himself.

“You attacked my city. As for the temple, it wasn't my men that killed yours, it...”

“Oh yeah, bla bla bla, blame someone else. When will you grow up to take control of your own actions?”

She could see Jason's face redden with anger, her own face burning too. She had to keep calm, she couldn’t lash out. She was here to try and forge an alliance, or at the very least an agreement to work together against the invaders. She took a few small breaths trying to regain control of her feelings before she snapped. All that talk of Terandriell controlling his emotions, she didn’t think she would be the one to lose it first.

“Maybe we should take a small break, I will have food brought in shortly. You are clearly hungry and weary.” With that, the King strode out of the room, his two sons following him like vultures, waiting to fight over the crown once he passed. The room door shut behind them, leaving them alone for a moment.

“What a horrid man,” Arianna stated.

“What an arsehole,” one of the Queen’s guards completed.

The Queen was now regretting her decision. Perhaps she have decided to come here. Perhaps she should have sent an advisor in her stead. She had always heard rumours of how evil this King was, but nothing quite so disgusting. She sat quietly, still feeling personally assaulted by the comments, the anger was still burning away, nibbling her piece by piece.

“This is going to be harder than we thought,” Jason said, trying to start a conversation up.

“You can always leave, let us finish this,” Terandriell interjected. “We can convince him. You don't need to be a part of this.”

“I will not run from him. I cannot show that I am weak. My first goal is to protect my country, and we need his soldiers to do that,” the Queen concluded.

Food began to be served by various slaves. Similar to the rest of their welcome, the food was stone cold. They regularly fed better meals to the horses and hounds in their own palace. The slaves merely brought it in, bowed and left. It was an assortment of dried fruits and nuts, with some cold, but thankfully cooked, chicken. It barely looked edible, but they were hungry and wanted to eat anyway. Jason, and the other men, lifted there forks up to take their first bite.

“Wait!” Kara shouted. One or two of the guards slowly withdrew their forks from their mouths as she uttered a few words.

“It's fine. I just had to check something.”

“What were you checking?” the Queen asked inquisitively.

“For poison. You can never be too careful around a man like that.” The men all looked at each other, not brave enough to be the first to take a bite.

“Oh, its fine you idiots.” She laughed as she took a few pieces of fruit to eat. They still watched her for a few seconds before continuing to eat their own food. The general mood improved amongst them now that they had some time to rest, and had spent some time inside, out of the harsh weather. It had been a long journey south, but they weren’t going to get the proper rest they needed with the tyrant walking around nearby.

“Well, I've ate better meals from the floor of a brothel,” laughed one of the Queen’s guard.

“You've ate most of your meals off the floor in a brothel.” Another jumped in. Laughter quickly filled the room from the other men.

“Eaten,” Jason whispered.

The Queen and elves were not used to this type of humour, so spoke within their own little group. “So, Arianna,” the Queen started. “How come you don't have the same kind of armour as the other leaders amongst you?”

“Oh, they are part of an elite force, I'm not. They call themselves the StormBlades. I'm sure you will see why one day.” She chuckled.

“Why is your armour green, Terandriell? the rest of your group all wear white armour.”

“He dyed it green, we have a little rebellious spirit here.” Kara nudged him with her elbow.

He smiled at her. “Yeah, the King was pretty... Shall we say, upset?” Terandriell laughed.

“Upset? He was going to murder you for defacing the armour. It was all he complained about for weeks.” Kara changed her accent to imitate the king. “Terandriell this, Terandriell that. Ruining the armour, destroying tradition.”

Terandriell and Arianna burst out laughing. Kara’s accent was a perfect replica to his. The Queen smiled at them. They were always so stern and professional; it was rare to see them joke around. Their laughter was infectious and full of pure joy, she couldn't help but join in.

“What traditions did you ruin then?”

“Oh, The StormBlades are always a group of seven of the best elvish spellcasters and warriors. They fight for the people, not for the king. So are unbound by common laws,” Arianna started.

“We fight for the people and answer to the Elven council,” Kara corrected. “It’s always been a safeguard in case of our land being seized by a tyrant ruler.”

“So, when I left, they became a group of six, and the King wanted it back to seven. But they kept the spot open for me to re-join,” Terandriell finished. The hilarity from the men was getting extremely boisterous the more they had to drink. The Queen always preferred Jason for this reason. He would have a couple drinks but never so much as to neglect his duties.

“So why did you leave?” the Queen asked curiously. The smiles from the elves quickly died out. Terandriell looked down at his hands, running his thumb against his fingers. Not sure if he wanted to think about it or discuss what happened. There was a brief pause. The Queen noticed this and opened her mouth to start a new conversation, but Terandriell beat her to it.

“About sixty years ago there was a small splinter faction of elves trying to overthrow the King. My parents were sent as emissaries between the two factions and were both killed.” His piercing blue eyes grew heavy, glistening slightly as he continued looking towards his hands. Refusing to look at the faces watching him. Kara placed a hand on his shoulder as Arianna looked away towards the soldiers.

“Something in me snapped when I received news of their deaths. I left Athaldris with no intention of ever going back. I didn’t care about myself any more, there was no point.” Kara’s eyes grew heavy at the words. “So, I ran deep into the forest. I don’t even remember where I was. How long I had run, it could have been minutes, hours or days. I just remember the sheer exhaustion gripping every fibre of my being, before my legs finally gave up and I collapsed in a small clearing by a pond.”

“I lay there for days. Intent on it being my final resting place. I had nothing else left to lose,” he paused. The Queen watched Terandriell and Kara, she figured this was the first time Kara had heard this part of the story from the sadness emanating from her. It seemed to affect her more than Terandriell. “It wasn’t until I listened, that I truly listened to the world, that I began to feel hopeful. Yes, my world was destroyed, but the world around me would endure. I remember the birds singing in the trees, the squirrels making there homes nearby. The sound of a doe as she nursed her new born. The howl of a wolf and the bark of her pup trying to copy its mother. It gave me purpose again.”

“I quit the StormBlades a few days later to take care of the natural world. It was the only place that I felt at peace after what happened. I dyed my armour green to show that we should always be protectors of nature as well as the elven people.” The Queen looked on at him, she understood what he felt better than anyone else in the room. She had lost both her parents in quick succession too and had so much responsibility to take on afterwards.

“I understand, and I agree. We take nature for granted far too much in this world.” This comment perked Terandriell up. Someone that finally understood him and his way of thinking. He admired this young Queen the more they got to know each other. She had a way of understanding the world that was like his. She was much wiser than her years suggested.

“I'm sorry for what has happened to you. The world is a cruel and unfair place.” Jason added, catching Terandriell off guard. He was sure that Jason had been joking around with the guards instead of listening into this.

“Thank you.” he smiled sadly. Kara’s arm was still placed on his shoulder.

The door to the room creaked open, and the younger of the two sons walked in. He was quite slender and appeared to be in his mid-twenties, whereas his older brother must have been in his early thirties. Every eye in the room turned to face him.

“Queen Elspeth,” he said, a proper title at last. “My father would like to have a second attempt at speaking with you and begs forgiveness for his earlier comments.” His son was a much more polite person and seemed utterly different from his father. She was unsure if the King had even asked for forgiveness or if he was trying to soothe the situation. She had half a mind to make sure the King died, and this son became his successor. She shook her head at the dark thoughts.

“It would be my pleasure,” she lied. The young man walked out and came back in moments later with his sibling and father.

“So, are we ready to try this again?”

“That is what we are here for,” the Queen replied blandly.

“I have a proposal for you. You will marry my son Arthur.” He raised his hand and placed it on his eldest son’s shoulder.

“Forgive me, but I did not come here to marry your son.”

“You should be doing your womanly duty. Why did you come then?” he snapped, slamming his fist down onto the table, making the plates rattle. Twenty seconds in the room, and she was already being irritated by his presence.

She looked at his eldest son who looked just like his father then to the younger son who mouthed 'I'm sorry' at her. She felt terrible for the young man who had put up with him for so many years. He seemed nothing like his older brother or father.

“We are here because of what is coming.”

“And pray tell, what is coming?” She looked at him, wanting so badly just to leave and give up, but she was determined to see this through.

“A war, like no war we have ever experienced before. We all need to stick together before it is too late.”

“Is that a threat?” he shouted. She looked around the room, her men were all tense and waiting to get her out of this country in a moment’s notice. She then spotted Terandriell, a flash of concern cross his face before looking towards Kara, who simply nodded. Kara’s left hand fell to the side of the table away from the King’s view as a small spark flicked from her fingers. She nodded ever so slightly at Terandriell again as they focused once again on the conversation.

“King Theradres.” The Queen mustered the words with every fibre of strength inside her. “You are going to struggle to believe this. However, the temple of which you accused us of killing your men earlier, they died from minotaurs.” The King roared with laughter as she continued speaking. “A portal has opened, and creatures from the very depths of hell itself flow out to meet us.”

“You expect me to believe this nonsense? Next, you will say Elves and Goblins and Fairies are all real too.” The Queen looked towards the elves, expecting one of them to reveal the truth, but none of them moved. Jason was just as surprised as the Queen at this. They said they would venture here themselves to help end the war and unite the human race, and now they seemed to back out of this.

“I can only tell you what I have seen,” she said, trying to salvage the situation.

“How can I respect or believe the word of…” Of an enemy, The Queen thought to herself, finishing off his sentence.

“…Of a woman.”

“If you are not going to act civil and speak to me with respect, then there is no point in us being in the same room together.” The Queen stood and stormed out of the room, quickly accompanied by her guards.

“Fine, leave,” the King shouted after her. “Go back to the cesspit you came from.”

The elves also stood up and left, something else troubling them. The Queen was already exiting the throne room doors before Terandriell, and the others had reached the door of the room they had been sitting in. Jason and a couple of his men were jogging to catch up to her.

“Did you feel that Arianna?” Terandriell asked her, his voice lowered so that the conversation stayed amongst them.

“I'm afraid not, what was it?”

“Something dark and powerful,” Kara stated.

“What was it trying to do?” They had just passed through the throne room doors and could see down the corridor to the courtyard outside. The Queen was still marching away at a quick pace, although Jason had caught up, the perfect soldier always watching her.

“I'm not sure. I just hid us from its presence.”

“A mage belonging to this King then,” Arianna said, getting angry at the fact he would do this to guests in his home.

“No, it was too powerful and dark to be humans. They aren't strong enough for that.” The three of them were now standing in the courtyard. The Queen had already entered the barracks to get her troops ready to go home.

“We need to find whatever this is,” Terandriell said. The youngest son of the King ran past them and quickly into the barracks. The elves looked at each other with surprise before following him inside. The Queen’s men were all packing or waking up from a quick sleep and were preparing to leave immediately.

“Queen Elspeth,” the young man started. His curly black hair framed his face perfectly, he was quite a bit taller than the queen, but stood far enough back so she wouldn't need to arch her neck to look at him. “Please don't abandon us so quickly. I know my father is, well, a cunt. Forgive my language. But do not forsake the people here. They need a ruler like you to intervene.”

“What is your name?” The Queen replied.

“John.”

“Prince John.” He smiled at the use of his proper title. “You are a decent young man. But there is nothing we can do while your father still rules without open war, which we don't have the time or the men for.”

“What if that could be…” he paused, considering his next words very carefully. Not entirely sure if he wanted to utter them or not. “Arranged. Please, stay the night. I will have food and ale brought to your soldiers and yourself, better than what you have already been served and we can talk in the morning.”

The Queen had gotten quite good at spotting liars from all her life in court, everyone had a hidden agenda, and she was rather good at deciphering it. Yet, the man before her, she couldn't tell what his intention was. He was young, but strength and purpose were driving him forward.

“Very well. We will stay till morning. I would very much like to speak to you later tonight.” she smiled at him, her eyes full of intent once more.

He quickly bowed before her and left. Jason was listening quietly from the corner of the room and walked up to her, standing close enough as to keep the conversation private.

“Ellie,” Jason whispered into her ear. “We should leave now. We don't know what they could be planning. It’s not safe.”

“I know, but we have to try to salvage this.”

“As you command. I will set up quarters for you at the far side of the barracks and organize patrols.” He walked away, leaving her on her own with only her thoughts.

She wanted to know what she was going to save, what needed saving. She noticed the elves were standing at the entrance to the barracks. “Terandriell, Arianna, will you accompany me on a walk through the city?” she knew Jason would reject that idea straight away so had waited till he was far enough out of earshot before approaching them.

“Kara, you know what you need to do, let the others know to keep an eye open,” Terandriell ordered, before turning to the queen. “Of course, lead the way.”

She stared at them, something was going on, and it was her right to know. She felt a little insecure that she was being left in the dark, but there must have been a reason for it. The elves were always a reasonable and logical people.

She walked out of the barracks, grabbing some furs to keep herself warm. They walked down the main road, then turned right onto a side street and began following this path. The city was in ruin, it made no sense. The Queen had visited it not three years past, and it was a flourishing Kingdom, even with its use of slaves.

Terandriell and Arianna were trailing a little behind her as the Queen didn't speak, she just looked at everything around them. What had happened to destroy this city so severely, it made no sense. No armies had marched on these walls in centuries, yet the entire capital appeared like it had barely survived a month-long siege.

They walked past a small church with many broken mosaic windows, the front door smashed into pieces onto the red carpet.

“Queen Elspeth,” Terandriell started.

“Please, call me Elspeth when we are alone, there is no need for such formalities.”

“I have been watching and somewhat interested in how religion works over here, ever since I heard the priest back in your city, I have wondered about a few things. Do all your kingdoms have different gods? What do they do for you?”

The Queen had been a little distant on the walk so far but now seemed engaged, wanting to find out as much about the elven gods as she could too.

“There is no set distinction on what religion to follow.” The words came a little strained as she thought of the best way to explain it. “Everyone is free to choose what to believe. Most of the land we live in worship the three goddesses of Ashyra, although most of my own country worship a single, unnamed god. Many Scholars believe they are one and the same, our religions mirror each other in most ways with a few minor discrepancies.”

Terandriell and Arianna both watched her intently as she spoke. “So, what do they do for you?” Arianna asked this time.

Elspeth stopped walking to turn and face them directly. “Nothing exactly. They bless our daily life, and when we die, we go to live with them in the lands after. Although it is far more complex than just that. What about your own god or gods?”

“We have four main gods and many others, not as well known.” Arianna started as Terandriell picked up the conversation. “Aesha is the goddess of the Moon, a powerful Dragon spirit. It is rumoured that whenever there is a shooting star above, that she is travelling to another land to help elves elsewhere else in the world.” The Queen’s eyes widened. She looked up at the sky, hoping to see a comet race past. There was nothing quite as exciting in her own religion, although she had never found much cause to believe in a god, very little good had affected her life so far.

“We have Ishjaak, he is the god of the forest and the natural world,” Terandriell started. Arianna’s voice took over, dragging the Queen’s attention from the sky to one elf and then the other. “On the first morning of spring every year, we have an amazing festival. Every single elf in the entire realm will plant a single tree, whether it is in a designated patch outside our city or around the smaller towns and villages. By nightfall, Ishjaak will have blessed every plant, tree or flower, and they will have fully grown and bloomed. The entire forest almost comes alive. We dance and drink and feast until the following morning.”

Terandriell jumped in this time. “That is when the lesser gods are most active. They are all spectral animals but each of them blesses a species of animal as they multiply and breed and before long control the entire newly forested area.”

“Our other two gods are Tchuria and Yurin, the Goddess of Magic and the God of all elves. These are worshipped more daily than the others.”

“That all sounds pretty amazing,” the Queen retorted. “I would love to see this spring festival once in my lifetime.” Arianna and Terandriell looked towards each other. No human had ever set foot on their island, and they didn't expect that to change anytime soon, especially with Urgost ruling. She was a Queen though, and fast becoming a friend, they didn't want to refuse.

“Perhaps one day. When the war is won.” Arianna smiled softly at her. The three of them carried on, the Queen travelling ahead of them deep in thought, thinking about the elven gods and wondering more of her own religion.

“Should we tell her?” Terandriell asked, quiet enough so the Queen wouldn't hear them.

“No use worrying everyone without proof. Who knows what it is?” Arianna replied with a hint of anxiety. The deeper they delved into the city, the worse the smell was. Everything around them stank of death and decay to match the look of Summerhold. People lay at the corners of streets, coughing and spluttering, homeless and dying.

“What happened here?” The Queen said, slightly louder than she anticipated. She crouched down beside a man who was slouched against the corner of a nearby house.

“What happened?” She asked, very quietly, trying to make up for her last outburst. He looked up at her, his eyes bloodshot and skin pale.

His voice was crooked and staggered as he spoke “It was...two weeks ago...it happened...” He had to pause for breath every few words, the man was close to death.

“What could do this to a city in two weeks?” Queen Elspeth looked towards the elves for answers. They both paused, looking at the man. They ran through different scenarios and possibilities in their heads but In truth, they hadn’t seen anything like this before. The magic they wielded was usually much swifter and more brutal. This was a slow, painful death.

Terandriell shifted his eyes around the street as he thought, not focusing on any one thing. He snapped back to reality and lunged for the man, placing his hands on either side of his head.

“Don't, it's...contagious.” The last word was extremely strained, but it was too late.

“Terandriell. Stop!” The Queen shouted. He shrugged the two of them off and closed his eyes, delving into the man's memories. Most humans have a natural barrier in their minds that usually takes force to break through, quite like a locked door. But this man was too weak to fight back, too weak to stand someone prodding at his mind. He began convulsing on the ground.

“Terandriell stop!” The Queen shouted, as she lunged to grab his arm. Arianna stopped her with ease. The Queen’s speed was nothing compared to her own, but the look of shock that spread over Elspeth’s face was immense. She felt weak and helpless, with none of her guards around to help her.

Arianna noticed and instantly let her go. She was only a little taller than the queen, but despite appearances, she was considerably stronger due to years of training. “Please, let him try this.” Arianna pleaded with her.

The Queen looked sick at seeing the man still convulsing on the ground, foaming from his mouth. Terandriell didn’t look much better, this went against everything he believed.

Terandriell could see the city two weeks ago, it was fine, nothing wrong. Until a colossal black cloud crossed over the sky, racing towards them before abruptly stopping high above the city. How a cloud stopped just like that was unheard of. It began raining, exceptionally heavily, and then some dark figure flashed across the sky in an instant before a strike of lightning hit a nearby tower, the human barely registering it.

Most of the people in the city ran for cover quickly to get out of the oncoming storm, but a few others that were left standing in the city streets began vomiting and screaming. Their shrill voices pierced the sound of the rain. They all ran for cover as quickly as they could, as anyone would. But as soon as they touched the skin of another person, they too began to vomit.

He watched through the man's eyes as the sickness spread, and the vision failed as the man stopped convulsing and lay dead. A spike of energy coursed through Terandriell as he arched his back and neck, his face pointing to the sky. His hand moved to cover his mouth, but before he could reach, he spewed all over the cobblestone ground.

“Magic,” he spat, before placing his fists one on top of the other over his chest. He began speaking in elvish, the Queen and Arianna both looked on frightful. Minutes past and the dead man then coughed and sat up. His pale face began to regain its colour, his red-looking eyes returned to their usual green.

He was confused at what had just happened. Terandriell was still chanting away. The Queen listening intently to this beautifully sounding language and seeing the power of the elves first-hand made her feel renewed in her effort against their common enemy.

A hiss emanated from the same dark cloud above like a giant snake waiting to strike, as a bolt of lightning shot down towards them. The Queen ducked, covering her head, expecting to be burned alive as Arianna raised her arms, creating a magical barricade above them to block it. The faint barrier became pure white around them as the lightning began to be absorbed into it.

Queen Elspeth looked up. She couldn't see through the barrier at all. There was no light or dark around them, just the white glow in the tiny world they now seemed to live in. No sound was heard from anywhere out with where they now stood.

Terandriell, now that he had recovered, joined in to help Arianna power the barrier. It wasn’t long before the white light around them grew faint, and they lowered their arms exhausted.

“What was that?” The Queen exclaimed. A giggle pierced the night sky above.

“We need to get you back to your men now,” Terandriell shouted.

The man beside them ran into his home and was greeted by some screams from his family as a plate came whirling out of the door, smashing onto the ground below. The screams quickly died down and turned to joy as they realized he was cured.

The three of them ran through the city towards the barracks. The Queen was quicker than they expected. She had clearly trained with enough warriors in her life to remain fit and fast.

“Elves!” Arianna shouted as they reached the courtyard, her voice projected by magic. The elves quickly exited the barracks and stood in perfect formation. The StormBlades ran up to where Terandriell and Arianna were standing.

“Queen Elspeth, get inside!” Terandriell ordered her. She gave him a second glance before she ran over to the barracks door. Many of the men began exiting the barracks and stood on the edges of the courtyard to find out what was going on. The StormBlades and Arianna stood around Terandriell, with more elves around them and even more around them in a giant circle. Terandriell began chanting, his arms aimed at the sky as a white beam of light gleamed from his hands piercing the clouds above. His power quickly died out as he expected.

“Lend me your strength,” he ordered. The gathering around them was immense, the entirety of the barracks had exited and was standing around them. The commotion had drawn the attention of the King’s own men as he descended the black steps of his worn fortress.

“Stop them!” he shouted, his deep voice echoing for everyone to hear.

“Protect the elves!” the Queen ordered in return. Her knights and own guards formed a line between them and the castle, swords in hand waiting to strike. She quickly caught Terandriell's attention who merely nodded his thanks as the white beam grew sharper and brighter, becoming almost impossible to look at. King Theradres's men began advancing towards the circle of men and elves as another hiss emanated from the night sky.

“You shall all die!” Came the woman's voice, screeching from the heavens. The rain began to pour from above, one drop at a time, before becoming heavier and heavier. The King’s men all lifted their shields, trying to protect themselves from the deadly rain. They knew it all too well.

“Attack them, you fools!” bellowed the King from the safety of the castle hallway. They didn't care, they weren't about to die for a King who gave no regard to their lives.

The first drops of rain began hitting the Queen’s men as they started retching. Arianna raised a sheet barrier, twenty feet above them. Every rain drop that struck, lit that area of the barrier green from the deathly rain.

Most of the knights raised their shields above them as the Queen’s guard all retreated to her and made their own barrier above her, not trusting the magic they were witnessing. She tried to move them aside to watch what was going on, but they wouldn't allow it.

The elves all chanted the same phrase over and over again in unison.

As the first ray of light peaked through the clouds, the thunder in the area became so loud it was almost unbearable. A second ray of light pierced through the sky, and a third before finally the cloud dissipated entirely, leaving nothing but the bright blue sky above.

The rain had finally stopped, and the warmth began to seep into the city again, melting the remainder of the snow as it did. Terandriell's arms lowered and pointed outwards to his sides, directing the elven magic throughout the city. The Queen’s men that were spewing or clutching at their throats began to recover, and like the man in the streets, they regained their colour and felt better almost instantly.

Terandriell held the magic for as long as he could, healing everyone in the city before the light around him dimmed, and he collapsed to the ground.

The dark figure was still hovering high in the sky above.

“Get him inside,” Arianna ordered, A few of nearby elves lifted Terandriell and walked towards the barracks. Arianna marched over to the Queen. “We told you to stay inside. It could have gone so wrong.”

“But it didn't. That was miraculous,” she replied, not caring about what Arianna said. She had witnessed an incredible feat and the true power of the elves. Terandriell was being carried past her on the shoulders of four other elves. They barely made a sound as they rushed past.

“Will he be okay?” she asked softly, her voice full of fear for him.

“He just needs rest. Magic like that takes a toll on us all, but he took the toll of us all.”

“What do you mean? I thought most elves couldn't use magic,” the Queen asked.

“Imagine it like this. If I pinched ten of your soldiers’ arms, then pinched you ten times, you feel everything that everyone else feels. And regarding your other question, they don't. All elves have magic in their blood, but most cannot use it on their own except for the simplest of spells. As a unit, we can all harness each other’s power if required, like we did just now.”

The men around the elves were all shaking their hands and talking with them, they had finally fully embraced their new allies. Out of fear or thanks Arianna wasn't sure, but was glad the two groups were now getting along.

“You should get some rest; I will stand guard and watch this creature above,” Arianna ordered as she took a step back from the queen. She headed towards a small stone wall at the edge of the courtyard and sat down, watching the snow melt away at her feet as the sun grew hotter. At least they finally discovered why the south was so cold when it had never been before.

“Arianna,” Kira said as she joined her on the wall.

“Kira,” she replied. The two of them sat in silence, watching the world go by, the soldiers had mostly returned to their barracks except for the guards Jason has stationed outside patrolling the area for any more threats. The King and his men were nowhere to be seen, having retreated inside the castle or somewhere else.

Jared and Felgourn had joined the others on the walls, as they watched the creature high above.

“What do you think it is?” Jared asked.

“It has a human form, but I don't know,” Kara said as she walked over to them. The black form hovered in the same place, letting out the occasional hiss but watching them intently waiting for the best moment to strike.

“Remember what the Elder told Terandriell? Beware the shadows in the dark. Maybe he meant exactly this?” Felgourn said. The others looked at him in agreement. It made sense to them, creatures that once thought long extinct were coming back, and there were more threats than what they initially thought.

“He should be dead,” Jared stated. Arianna and Kara were enraged at the blunt comment, but they knew he was right, no one should be able to withstand magic that powerful.

“Magic is being reborn in the land, things that once were not, now are.” Felgourn quoted again. “Dark magic may be surfacing again, but you know how it is in Nature, where there is dark there is usually light. Maybe our own magic is becoming more powerful to combat it, nature always requires balance. Or perhaps it is the Elder that is keeping him alive.” Felgourn was the oldest and wisest in the group, they mostly listened to his advice when it was given and spoke to him if they needed guidance. His comments always made the most sense to them, especially at this time.

A hiss louder than any other ones pierced the sky once more before the figure vanished from sight.

“Well, I'm going to rest, let me know if it comes back,” Felgourn said as he returned to the barracks. He used his staff as a walking stick even though it wasn’t required, he was one of the fittest and most skilled amongst them.

“Try not to kill any humans,” Jared shouted after him.

“I will try, but no promises,” he smiled. Seeing how quickly they defended the elves from other humans made him feel easier in the presence of this Queen and her men, there was a level of trust between them now. A bond had been formed, and Felgourn’s horrible opinion on them lessened ever so slightly.