Elironda
Avariel Elf, (Artic Flyer)
Original Class Rogue (Assassin)
The rain washed down in the dead of the light, as the soldiers waited. In this large forest clearing, some thirty soldiers stood guard in a series of rings two men in the center. Judging by how the soldiers were all soaked, it was clear that they had been waiting here in the night for a while. Lightening flashed overhead as the thunder clapped. Most of the soldier were armed with Long Bows, while the others were armed with heavy crossbows. Beyond the clearing, ten cavalry men did their best to remain hidden.
A bolding man with a scar under his right eye stood ahead of the soldiers looking to the sky. While the storm raged overhead, it was nothing compared to the anger raging in his eyes. He wore a thick fur animal skin over his upper torso. Occasionally as the lighting flashed, his chainmail armor could be seen under the thick fur skin. On his back, he wore a great two handed sword with fine gems in the hilt. His bold beard was braided in to two braids. His eyes scanned the heavens as the rain washed down over him.
One of the soldiers walked up, “do you think she will show, My Lord?” His name was Cal Albertsen and brother to King Geirr Alberten. “Avariels have difficulty during the winter storms.” He armor was master crafted, and his sword blistered with magical energies.
“She’ll be here,” King Geirr Albertsen said coldly with a nod. For the past four years, King Geirr had been waging a war with his uncle for the throne of the northern Kingdom of Hordaland. The fate of this Kingdom rests in the one that holds Crown of Hordaland. An artifact that Geirr claimed that his uncle had stolen from the death bed of his father. “If she wants him back in one piece, she be here despite the storm.”
“My Lord” cried one of the soldiers as he pointed towards to the heavens. Through the clouds flashes of lighting, a winged form could barely be seen. The form was moving low compared to the clouds, and was clearly struggling against the raging winds.
King Geirr smiled as he turned to his Captain of the Guard, “See Cal, I told you. She would come.”
Cal nodded, “I will hold my breath until I see if she had completed her task, first.”
King Geirr rested his hand on Cal’s shoulder, “you should have more faith, brother.” He turned to his men, “be on your guard, this Flyer is peculiarly dangerous.” His smile turned serious, “even considering what she doesn’t know we have.” King Geirr moved to wait for the creature’s arrival.
The group waited for a moment as the winged form landed in the center. The soldiers each took up their aim at the creature with their bows and crossbows. Beyond them, the horsemen waited should their King give the order. King Geirr was known for many things. His love of non-human creatures was not one of them. He had lunched many campaigns to remove these lesser creatures from their ancestral lands. Every human in the clearing saw this winged creature as nothing more than just the means to an end.
The creature raised her hands in a non-threatening manner. Her chest rose and fell as she drew in deep breaths. Her wings soaked from the storm as her leather armor shimmered in the lighting flashes. She drew back her wings slowly as her long black feathers radiated from the wetness. She didn’t’ need to remove her hood or cowl for the soldiers to know who she was. She was one of the move renowned rogues in all the southern realms. An assassin who could demand three times her weight in gold from even the most powerful of employers.
Known as the Angel of Death, she had been the cause of many wars and conflicts across the realms. During her age, no one, not even within her own race knew who the Angle of Death really was. All that was known was that the Angle of Death was an Avian Elf of the darkest and most chaotic of natures. The truth was far from this. She was the second daughter of the Elven King, Eliron Glathita. While her actually identity remained a mystery beyond this fateful day, those with hordes of gold knew how to acquire her services.
She drew in a deep breath as she slowly attempted to regain control over her breathing. The storm was hellish to navigate. But the prize at the end of this road was worth it for her. She slowly moved her hands to her hood as the soldiers all grew tense at her actions. She smiled through her cowl as she knew that fear was a powerful weapon of any good assassin. Her eyes scanned her surroundings carefully. Her slowed actions was not meant to cause them ease, but to allow her time to take in the situation. She lifted her hood from her head and allowed her shoulder length black hair fall over the hood. They couldn’t see the twin poisoned darts that she had bound to the back of her neck by her green ribbon that was tied in to a bow under her chin.
“pl….please…” she said with labored breath as she tried to regain her strength from her flight through the storm. Her words, were meant to give the impression that she was weaker from her flight than she really was. “I have what you seek,” she added as she pulled a tightly wrapped item from a shoulder sack. The sack was tightly strapped over her shoulder and bound around her waist. While to the casual observer, the sack was just that. Anyone that could see under her large wings would see the sack as a cleverly disguised as sheaf for her specially crafted cutlass sword. “And my payment, My Lord?”
“Gentlemen, allow me to introduce the infamous Angel of Death. The only one in the realms that can bring Kings to their knees,” King Geirr said with a smile as waved off his man. There was a sense of mocker to his words that was not lost on her. On that note the soldiers lowered their weapons, though only a bit.
“Oi, I’m more than that. I’m the best thief in all of the realms,” she smiled as she boasted. Something about the situation caused her great concerns.
“Aye, that too, you are,” he said dismissively.
King Geirr’s position on non-humans was well known across the realms. The Elven and Dwarf Kingdoms have been warning of his raise to power for the past four years. She simply didn’t care. She had her own agenda and wasn’t concerned with the political waves that were building across the realms.
King Geirr smiled at her as he added, “wanted in more than a dozen kingdoms,” as he walked forward. “I am pleased to see you, my little winged thief. Let’s see if you completed your task, then we shall speak of payment.”
She slowly lifted the item in her hands to him for his inspection. Her attention never left those around her. She knew that like many of her employers, he wouldn’t think twice about betraying her. Though she was surprised that he was so emboldened to come so close to her. She knew King Geirr, as much as she knew all human. ‘Liars and betrayers, the lot of them,’ she thought coldly of the entire race. A slim smile grew across her lips as she thought that their gold and silver spends as nicely as Elven or Dwarf. “I have it, My Lord,” she said with great care to keep her feet light. She was like a great spring waiting to be unleashed. Woven within the thick fathers of her wing was a small dagger, just in case she needed it. She handed the small wrapped item to King Geirr.
“It’s much heavier than I thought it would be,” he said with delight in his voice. He took the cloth covered package and started to untie the string ties that held the wrapping around it. He smiled at the bloody cloth in the center. “I will give you this, you are very good at what you do,” he said exposing the tongue of the former owner of the item in his hand. He continued to unwarp the rest of the package and revealed the golden gem crusted crown. He turned to Cal, “Our birthright has been returned to us, Brother!”
He proudly walked away from the winged creature as he held up the crown with one hand and the bloody tongue for all his followers to see, “the USPER has been silenced by the Angel of Death and Hordaland, shall be ours!” The soldiers all cheered loudly and banged their weapons causing the entire clearing to become flooded with noise of cheers.
The winged elf smiled and patiently waited for the cheers to die down. On her face was a sense of detachment to the situation. As the cheers and noise started to die down, she stepped forward, “My Lord, I have given you, your Kingdom,” she said softly. While she moved forward she still held fast to her balance and kept her eyes on those around her. Woven within her wings were throwing knives ready to be flung. These weapons and her trusted bow over her back were all tools of her trade. “All that is left is what we agreed upon,” she said softly with her head slightly bowed. “My payment, My Lord.”
King Geirr smiled as he started to walk away, “aye, you have given me back my Kingdom, and I am truly grateful. Unfortunately, there shall be no payment for you, monster!” His voice was callus and without regret as he raised his hand to order her death.
She let go her pinned up energy in an explosive motion forward. As she moved forward her wings seemed to grab the air around her allowing her to glide only making her appear faster than she was moving. Her hand snapped dagger from its place in her wing and fall upon King Geirr like the specter of death. Her speed caught everyone by surprise as she fell upon King Geirr with precision. Her dagger found his throat and even dripped a bit of his blood so that he knew she was serious.
“We had a deal, My Lord. I want Svíagris,” she said speaking of Adils' legendary prized magical ring. Her eyes shifted to the soldiers as she moved around in a circle as to make herself a harder target.
Geirr spoke deeply, “stupid whore,” He didn’t seem phased by the dagger at his throat. “You have no idea what makes us different from each other.” He shifted but the dagger kept him at her mercy for the moment. “You are but a common monster, a menace to my people. And I have been chosen by the Gods to rule!”
It was her turn to laugh, “aye, a monster that got you, your Kingdom. My Lord, I can take all of it away with a slip of my blade,” she warned then added, “All I seek is what is mine by agreement. I have kept my word.”
“Aye, you can take my life monster,” Geirr said in a light voice that bothered her. “But with my command, I will take from you what you hold most dear.”
The statement caused her concern as she wasn’t aware of what he was talking about. With a nod of his head, Cal waved for three soldiers to advance. Two of them were carrying a large wooden crate that resembled a coffin. The dropped the crate on the ground as something within the crate made a thud sound. There was a look of confusion on her face and a smile on Geirr’s
“One doesn’t become King without ensuring that the scales in their favor,” Geirr said coldly as one of the soldiers opened the crate.
She watched with wonder and then with horror as they removed a young winged male. The male was bound tightly and gaged. His white wings and hair stood out against the night. His soft blue eyes fell upon the female and then in a moment a sense of recognition passed over his face. In that moment, anger flashed over the woman’s face as she knew right away who this child was. It was her own son!
She pulled King Geirr closer in horror and screamed out in anger, “I swear, I will kill your King if you don’t release him. NOW!”
King Geirr laughed, “you can kill me, but you will never reach your son before my men run on through.” The soldiers behind her started to close in. The trap has been sprung and now the clock started to tick away.
Her wing flinch as anger ran through her body. Her eyes narrowed on the human behind her son. She saw the sword in his hand, concealed by her son’s body. “Humans always tend to under estimate non-human,” she said as the soldiers around her started to move closer as their confidence slowly started to build. It was those directly behind her that posed the most risk right now. She added, “when will you ever learn.”
The lighting flashed as it caused their metal armor to glimmer for just a moment. It was all the distraction she needed. With a great force of strength, she used her mighty wings to flip herself and King Geirr over. The sudden and forceful movement of her wings sent pellets of water outward from her. The air under her exploded towards the ground as her powerful wings lifted both her and the heavy human in to the air.
Flipping and spinning she flung the King over her body with great force. With his momentum built up, she let the human king go sending in flying in to the soldiers behind her. Holding on to the momentum, she spun in mid-air allowing her wings to spread out capturing air under them. At the same time, she allowed the throwing knives to rip from her wings. Of the six, half hit and half missed. They were not meant to kill, but only to cause a bit of chaos around her. With her wings filling with air, she leaned back and flung her dagger forward with all her might.
Using the air within her wings, she reached forward with them and pulled the air around her. This gave her a powerful lung forward towards her son. As she flew towards the three soldiers and her son, she could see the hilt of her own dagger in mid-flight just ahead of her.
Just as the soldier was bringing the sword back, the dagger ripped in to his throat. The soldier let out a gurgling sound as the dagger plunged deep in to his throat, and out the backside. The two other soldiers around the child stepped forward and readied to attack the woman as she closed on them. The chaos of the opening moments was giving way to a disciplined combat scene. Cal let out a cry, “protect our king!” as he drew his great two-handed sword.
With seconds ticking away, nearby soldiers took aim and fired their ranged weapons. Within a breath’s time, projectiles were speeding towards her. Pulling her wings in tight she spun to the ground. Her spun made her harder to hit, it also set her on a collision course with the ground. Thanks to her defensive move, most of the incoming projectiles missed. Two, however found their mark. A heavy bolt ripped through her right wing and imbedded in to her right shoulder. An arrow sunk in to her left calf muscle. She let at a scream as she tucked and tumbled to avoid serious damage from the intentional crash landing. The last feet, she tumbled to the feet of the two soldiers between herself and her son.
She came up with a pair of powerful wing buffets at the two remaining soldiers who were near her child. The strong blow sent the two heavily armored soldiers back. It was now Cal’s turn to attack. His large sword started to glow as magical scrips glowed red. Despite her natural speed and everything she had done to make it harder to hit her, he slashed her right side with a deep gash. She let out a cry in pain as the blow caused her to stumble to the left. She reached to her neck with both hands and grabbed her darts. She allowed herself to spin clockwise with the force of Cal’s attack. As he brought his mighty sword around for another attack, she plunged both darts in to Cal’s chest. It was more than enough to kill the human before the sun rose.
As Cal was forced to retreat from her blow, she took her trusty short bow out. At the same time, she grabbed two arrows from her quiver and placed them on the belly of the bow. She drew back the arrows as she took aim at a pair of soldiers targeting her. Her sight and aim were true as she unleashed to two arrows at her targets. Both soldiers were hit and forced to seek cover. She wasn’t aiming to kill them, she was aiming for their hands and ensuring that they won’t be part of this battle later.
In the distance, King Geirr yelled out to the remaining of his soldiers. “The man’s weight in silver to the one that brings me her head!”
One of the soldiers that she had wing buffeted was getting up to his feet as Cal was also getting ready to return to the battle. The soldier leaped at her and sung his sword at her neck. She spun using the bow to parry his attack. The sword impacted the bow causing it to crack up the spine of the bow’s belly. The force of the impact caused her to stumble backwards. The soldier continued his advantage as he sung again at her. This time, she dodged his attack using her momentum to sidestep him. She coiled the string of her broken bow around his neck. Pulling the bow, she tightened the string around his neck.
Taking sight of the next threat to her, she pulled the bow and forced the soldier to stumble in the direction she moved him. She used him as a human shield as the next flight of projectiles rained down on them. The soldier let out a groan as multiple projectiles ripped in to his body. One bolt found its mark in her right wing. The injury was server, as it damaged vital flight muscles.
She saw Cal rushing her once more with his sword ready to crash down upon her. She turned and kicked the soldier’s body at Cal. She noted that this time, the sword didn’t glow as it cut deep in to the soldier’s body. The blow ended the soldier’s life and caused her to wonder if the large sword was an Elf Slayer. The body hit Cal causing him to fall back once more. This gave her room and time to plot her next action.
Noting the disadvantaged position, she grabbed the boy and reached for the sky with her wings. Despite the pain, she pulled the air with her wings as she fought for the safety of the heavens. She couldn’t have known that the humans had sown bars of lead in to his clothes. Instead of racing for safety, she fought hard just to keep aloft. Her wounded wing took another arrow and a bolt found her back. She let out a scream as they crashed down on to the ground. The pair slipped down a small riven, as they rolled out of control.
She let out a cry in pain as the sound of bone breaking could be heard. The two figures came to a muddy stop at the banks of a small stream. With her left wing broken and her right badly wounded, there was no running. She drew out her cutlass as she prepared for the death that she knew was coming down that embankment. With her free hand, she drew out a knife. She reached down and cut the boy’s bounds and handed him the knife. “Free yourself” she commanded as a pair of soldiers started to race down the embankment.
She advanced to greet them, “kamuflasje” she uttered. The ring on her left hand glowed. Her body shimmered dully as her body started to blind with her surroundings. The humans hardly noticed her as she moved in for the attack. They were caught by surprise as her cutlass found its mark on them. Using a spinning attack, she brought the cutlass across one soldiers gut letting his insides fall upon the ground. Just moments afterwards, she brought the cutlass across the other man’s throat. Both soldiers rolled down in to the stream.
She turned to the small boy who was almost free from his binds, “take to the skies and get far away from here” she commanded. He looked up to her and nodded. She didn’t have time to think before she noticed Cal and more soldiers coming down the embankment. She turned to face Cal and the other soldier.
She never saw the boy remove a ring from his hand. On that, he slowly transformed in to a human female. The female slowly rose to her feet and removed the weighted robe that she had worn. With a smile on her face, she took the very knife that the elf had given her and silently moved up behind the wounded elf. With her eyes set on the Elf, she moved as silently as a cat. She drove the knife in to the back of the elf with so much force that it knocked the elf to her knee. The knife still stuck in to the back of the elf, Elironda turned and looked up at her attacker.
The human female smiled, “filthy elf, did you think we were that stupid?”
“We have her, My Lord” Cal screamed as he continued down the embankment.
The elf struggled to her feet as she faced the new threat. She stumbled forward as the human female moved back smiling. The human female spread her arms wide almost daring an attack. Elironda reached back with her cutlass to attack the female, only to have it easily knocked away by Cal. His sword, once more glowing, slashed the back of Elironda’s legs. This caused Elironda to collapse to her knees screaming out in pain. His boot knocked the elf forward and over on to her hands and knees.
“Where’s my son,” she whimpered.
King Geirr was smiling as he walked to the top of the embankment. Next to him, a group of soldiers had her bound son under tight guard. “Don’t worry, I promise you that he will die right after you!”
Cal reached down and took the elf’s left hand. He twisted her arm causing her to let out a groan in pain. He pulled off her magical ring and her body returned to its natural shades and colors. Her skin was pale and her eyes were soft blue. Her hair matched her bright white wings. “Finally, in your natural appearance,” Cal said coldly as he pushed her down in to the mud. “Brother, you were right. She was an Artic Flyer!”
“No one cares, Cal,” the human female said as she reached down and grabbed Elironda by her white hair. “What has begun here on this night will be the end of her race,” The human female continued as she drugged Elironda across the mud to a nearby log. She tossed Elironda across the log and motioned for a soldier to hold here there. “My Lord, the kill belongs to me! It was my plan.”
“aye, your plan,” King Geirr said shaking his head. “But Cal made your plan possible. The kill is his.” He motioned for the child to be taken down the embankment. “You can kill her spawn.”
“His only a child!” Elironda protested as the soldiers forced the child down the embankment.
“A child of a monster is still just another monster to be slain,” King Geirr said.
The female leaned down towards Elironda, “so why should we wait!” On that, she walked over to a soldier and claimed a long sword from him. “The little monsters blood will on this night, My Lord.”
A soldier dropped a heavy boot on Elironda’s back as Cal walked up. His large sword started to glow once more. “With this blow, monster, it shall be the beginning of the end for your kind.”
Elironda tried to fight back, but there was nothing she could do. She could see her son’s eyes filled with tears as he was forced to watch his mother’s murder. She struggled again as she watched the sword swing from her sight and knew that in moments it would be over. “Please” she uttered to the Gods. “Please don’t let this be the end.” She heard the sword passing through the air and hoped with all her heart that something would change this fate. “Save us, and I swear I will serve you….anyone of you that can save us…….please…..”
“I have watched you for some time, Elironda,” a blacked haired human said not really looking at her. He was leaning up against a tree taking a bite out of a red fruit. He wore strange armor and held a staff in his free hand.
Elironda shifted her head under the heavy weight of the boot on her back. She could see the glowing sword only inches from her the back of her neck. She didn’t need further proof that her prayer had been answered. But she just didn’t know by who. “Who are you,” she asked unsure of the new situation.
“Does it really matter,” he asked with a smile. “What does matter is the choice you are about to make.” He turned his head towards her and great delight crossed his face, “ah, Drapsmann” he said as he walked over to the log. “The Elven Slayer. Not so lost to time as the others would think.” He glanced at a frozen Cal, “do you mind if I cut in.” He turned his attention to Elironda, “for so long I have watched you doing my bidding down here.”
“You have brought me so much delight. Oh, all that chaos that you have brought un to the realms.” He moved his hand through her white hair, “never once have you ever asked anything of me. How could I not respond to your prayers now.”
She glanced up at the glowing blade, then turned back to the strange human, “you can save us?”
He nodded, “aye, I can. But will you devote your very being to me. Serve me when I summon you to my service.”
Her faced turned back to the child only meters away. Through the lighting, she saw King Geirr up at the top of the embankment with a look of victory on his face. Anger filled her heart as she looked in to his eyes. She turned her eyes back towards the God that was offering her salvation, “Yes, you have my word, My Lord. Please save us.”
“You two will survive this night,” he said with a smile and added. “That is, if you don’t waste this second chance at life,” and with that he was gone. She felt the healing touch of a god. While far from completely healed, it was another for her to keep fighting for the life of her son.
Just as the blade was falling for her neck, the sound of an arrow ripping through the air sounded the alarm. The arrow slammed in to Cal’s neck with the force of a horse’s kick. This caused him to flip over the log and land of the ground choking through the blood. A soldier cried out, “Orcs!” It was Elironda’s moment that was given to her. She wouldn’t waste it.
Before the female could move, Elironda was in motion. She wing bashed the soldier trying to hold her down. Even as he was stumbling backwards, Elironda was in motion. She tucked her shoulder down and charged him. The impact slammed the soldier, back first, in to a tree. Despite the human female being silent, Elironda heard her approach behind her. She spun to the right as the female missed with her sword. Elironda dropped forward in to a tumble and came up with her own cutlass in hand. As the sounds of combat flooded the landscape, the bottom of the embankment was soon forgotten about.
Elironda leaped to the side and parried the female’s first attack. The two females exchanged a series of blows, only to have them parried or dodged. It was clear that they were evenly matched. But Elironda was more than just a fighter. She was a rogue as well. She fainted to the right and slipped to the left. She spread her wings out to add to the confusion. The female pressed her attack, but her blade pressed through the fleshy part of Elironda’s wing.
Elironda spun around and reversed the grip on her cutlass. She drove the blade in to the human female’s side. Elironda looked in to the woman’s eyes as life slipped from them. There were no words exchanged. Just a mutual hatred for each other. Elironda slowly withdrew the blade from the body and the human dropped to the ground. Elironda rushed over to Cal’s body. The arrow had broken his neck and she could hear him gurgling for breath. She searched his body and found her ring.
As she stood up the last soldier at the bottom of the embankment turned to her. He was getting back to his feet after being dazed from when Elironda slammed him in to a tree. She reached behind her back and pulled the knife from her back and dropped it in the mud. She tilted her head as if wondering rather he would run or fight. He decided to run and there wasn’t time to be wasted, so she let him flee.
She rushed over to her son and cut him loss with her cutlass. Her wounds caused her great pain, but she drove on. She took hold of the boy and rushed down stream. Once she could barely hear combat she found an overhand and pushed the boy in first. She reached out with her wings as she put the ring back one. She once more uttered “kamuflasje.” On that, her body and wings turned to the same colors around her. They were safe for the moment.
She didn’t know how long it had been, but she knew that she was losing a lot of blood. She held on to the world of the living for her son. She had to protect him. After a while, she heard footsteps closing on her position. She was in no position to fight as her grip tightened on the hilt of her cutlass.
“As promised,” the black-haired man said. “you two have been saved from your attackers.” There was a smile on his face, “such a surprise that a orc raiding party stumbled upon you and your human friends.”
Elironda moved from the over hand as she put her cutlass away. “Thank you, My Lord. By what name shall I call you?”
“Loki….” He said softly than added, “I prefer the name Loki today.”
“My Lord, Loki, thank you for what you have done for us today,” she said moving to her knee and bowing to him. “You have my word. I will serve you,” she said softly. Her wounds caused her great pain, but she wasn’t about to miss this chance to pay respect to the being that saved the life of her and her child. “What would you have me do,” she asked without looking up at him.
He smiled shaking his head, “I don’t know right now. When I am ready for you, I will call upon you.”
Elironda nodded, “yes, My Lord Loki.” She glanced at her broken wing and noted her wounds. “My Lord, can you heal my wings?”
The man shook his head once more, “you didn’t ask for that, so, no.” And on that note, he was gone.
King Geirr war against non-human communities would become legendary. It would become one of the greatest conflicts between Kingdoms to ever be recorded. For as far as the southern realms would reach, there was war. History would accredit the destruction of the infamous assassin and thief, Angel of Death, to King Geirr. It would also label him ‘The Destroyer’, due to the large number of non-human communities that his army slaughtered. Hit hardest were the Artic Flyers, Avariel Elves that live near the artic regions.
King Geirr would not end his search for the thief that could cause his claim to be seen on illegitimate. Throughout this great war, King Geirr forces were ordered that any Artic Flyer, be killed on sight. Despite that the assassin’s death was recorded, myths were born that the assassin had struck a deal with death its self. King Geirr’s paranoid actions fueled these rumors. During this age, the specter of the Angel of Death was so feared that bards wrote songs to it. One spoke of a warlord king who was so terrified that he slept with a hundred armed guards within his own bed chamber.
Elironda and her son would escape the land of humans only to find her homelands in flames. Unable to return to the southern realms, the pair pressed north. They would travel far north, to the lands of the frozen forests. To the lands where summer dare not touch. As the war raged in the south, Elironda and her son continued to travel north. They continued to travel north until, the war was only a distant tale.
While her wounds would heal, Elironda would not take to the skies again. Haunted by the war that she helped to create, Elironda found no comfort or peace. Unwilling to face the war and unwilling to ignore her part, she started to train elven assassins. When he became of age, her son, Eliron Glathita II would lead his assassin south. They would fight alongside the forces of light with courage and create a name for themselves. His poisoned blade would bring an end to the Warlord King, Geirr.
After the war, Eliron would play a key role in helping to create a lasting peace that the realms would enjoy. Like all things, the age of Eliron and his assassins would come to an end. As time passed, even names like Eliron, the Angel of Death and the Destroyer would become scattered to the winds of time. Even the northern Kingdom that Elironda called home would be reclaimed by the glaciers. As the years passed, all would be forgotten by history.
Many millennia had passed and a lone figure wandered an ice cave. It was a region of the realms that had long been forgotten. It was the beginning of a new chapter for the realms. The Gods have all taken on new names and given to new appearances. For Gods, the passage of time was but a blink of an eye. For the mortal world, the era of the Horn Blower was close at hand!
As the woman walked through the winding cave, the ice parted way for her. Soon she came to a stop in what appeared to be an ancient cemetery. Slowly, she moved her hand over the frozen ground and heat started to raise from it. As the heat continued to raise from it, the soil started to loosen up. Her eyes fell upon a simple headstone. In a language that had not been spoken in a very long time, the headstone read, ‘mother, teacher, friend….we forgive you’
“More like, forgotten, “the woman said with a hint of laughter. She tapped the stone, “I call upon you.” She smiled as a skeleton hand punched through the loosened soil. “It’s time for you to serve,” she said coldly.
A skeleton figure clawed its way from the grave. It skeleton wings stretched out as they became free from the ground. Its bones clacked and clicked as it moved. Long gone was the flesh and muscle of the body. All that remained were the white bones of a winged creature. “I….was…..” it said in a strange inhuman voice. “Happy…..” The creature continued to free its body from the earthen prison that once had held it.
She nodded, “and you will be again, if you do as you are told. If you do as you are told, you will be returned to Arvanaith. But first you will serve me, or you will never be returned.”
The creature looked at its boney hands and wings, “I’m so cold…..” it turned its skull towards the woman. Its empty eye sockets gazed upon the woman, “why….why take me from where I was, was happy….” There was almost a mournful sound to its voice. Its empty eye sockets seemed to gaze at her for mercy. “Why would you do such a thing….WHO AR E YOU!” There was a hissing anger in the creature’s voice as it rose to its feet. It readied its self for combat. To see vengeance on the foolish person that would wake her back to this…this mortal world.
She smiled and dismissed the anger of the creature as she walked over to a tombstone and leaned against it, “you gave your word to serve me.” She turned to face the creature, “have you forgotten your word, Elironda?”
The creature followed her with its empty eye sockets, “Loki?” Slowly the creature slipped to its knees. “I waited so long for you to call upon me. And that call never came.” Once more, it gazed down at its hands, “I was so old, I remember on my death bed thinking that I was free from our bond.”
Loki shook its head, “you gave an oath to me, and I shall call upon it in my own time.” She looked at the creature, “but this will not serve my purpose.” She waved her hand, and flesh started to regrow across Elironda’s body. The creature let out a cry in pain as it flopped to the ground. “I will give you a compass, and you will follow it,” Loki said as a bag appeared before Elironda.
Her body rolled around on the ground as muscle continued to grow over her body. It was painful, as the creature flipped over and twisted in agony. Her screams echoed across this long-forgotten land. Blood started to pump through her veins as her heart kicked started. Her eyes slowly started to regrow. Muscle, flesh and feathers started to grow across her wings. Her pale flesh grew over her regrown muscles. Within moments, she laid on the cold hard ground as bare as the day she was born. Her wings covered her for warmth.
Elironda looked at her hands then her wings. Her black wings and hair were plan for Elironda to see. She moved slowly and with great pain across the ground. She found a small half frozen puddle. “I am younger, than I was when I died.”
“I liked you much better like this. White really isn’t your color,” Loki laughed. “Anyway, I didn’t need an old woman for this mission.”
“I am so cold….” She said looking around. “Where am I?” She continued to scan the ice cave. Then it dawned on her, “I know this place. But it looks so different. This was a hill top. I remember there was a tree over there.” She said pointing to a place in the cave that was still covered with ice. “I met my husband there.” She crawled over to a broken tombstone and laid upon it. “He was a good man,” said softly with tears in her eyes.
“I know, I watched. He took you and your son in when you had nowhere else to go,” Loki said with a nod. “Though he was an elf.”
“Humans can’t be trusted,” she said coldly.
Loki stood up, “You will need more fitting clothes.” She waved her hand and clothes wove their way around her. “I believe you still remember how to use these,” Loki said and a cutlass and recurved short bow appeared at Elironda’s feet. “Eli, I will warn you. I have taken you from a time where even the Gods have forgotten. But make no mistake. They have not forgotten the war that you caused. Even the lightest of the gods would be angered should they find out who you are. I shall not rescue you. They will do horrible things to you, things that even death cannot allow you to escape from. You cannot ever speak of where you are from, or of your old life.”
Elironda looked back to the puddle, “and if I complete this task of yours. You will return me to Arvanaith?”
“You have my word,” said Loki. “But if you try to get smart on me and commit suicide, I assure you, you will not find Arvanaith. Stay alive and complete my task. It’s that simple.”
Elironda nodded as she stood up, “I understand. I will complete your task and then you will return me to my husband and son.”
Loki smiled and nodded, “oh one last thing.” Loki walked up to Elironda and moved her hand to Elironda’s forehead. “I don’t need a master assassin or thief on this mission.” A bright light grew from Elironda’s head, “you will not remember the past adventures you had. Your life, your adventures shall now, be anew…..” The lights all faded as darkness engulfed Elironda’s mind. Somewhere in the darkness she heard, “follow the compass. It will place you where you need to be, the rest shall be up to you to figure out. Don’t disappoint me!”
