Though my life here can be considered a good one, it is suffused with a low anxiety that never really go away. I live with a constant charge of tension and a slight adrenal gain--the consequence I know of spending my days in the cheap suit of false identity. Whether that will ever go away I don't know, but I know that I need not only to get stronger but people that I could call my own. People whose fate are tied to mine. The demi-humans provide a perfect opportunity for just that.
I was already dressed for my trip to the dwarves kingdom, donning a dark red steampunk tail coat, a common attire amongst wealthy nobles, when I was told Nadia wanted an audience so I waited for her in my room. Few moments later the door opened. Nadia came in with two other. One was a freak with the bottom half of a goat, i think, and the other looked like Nadia but with a dark skin. Both have slave collars on their necks.
Nadia led the way and she knelt before me.
"I greet your majesty" Nadia greeted, then she realized the black one was still standing.
She hissed something through clenched teeth in a language I couldn't understand.
The standing black elf didn't budge. She held my eyes, anger, defiance, hatred not hidden in hers and I hoped mine reflected the calm and non-chalance that I felt as I rested back against my table, arms crossed against my chest.
"Ophelia you fucking gave your word!" Nadia said in that language with a tone more beckoning than angry.
The black one let out a sigh of resignation and begrudgingly went to the ground, with head bowed.
She was a piteous sight. It's been a long time since I've seen someone that I felt pity for. Her face are full of deep scars, her right hand amputated. Wrinkles webbed from the outer corners of her eyes and her face seemed to sag on her skull like an ill fitted garment. I understood her resentment, not that it would have mattered, but fortunately for both of us we are not outside.
[Name : Ophelia Bakir]
[Class : Huntsman]
[Level : 69]
[Strength : 22]
[Attack : 434]
[Defense : 246]
[Agility : 304]
[Stamina : 101]
[Weapon mastery; Abyssal Echo; Dark Reflection; Umbral Beacon; Stealth Mastery; Nocturnal Empathy; Shadow Manipulation; Night Vision; Telepathy; Nightmare Induction; Camouflage; Mystic Senses; Dimensional Awareness; Resist ; Nightmare Walk; Dark Whispers; Void Step; Night's Embrace; Aetherial Blades; Vanishing Act; Ghostly Presence; Netherwalk]
She's quite the find. Exactly what I was looking for, what I needed. The chess game was already moving in my head.
"Rise," I finally said, and they all did. The dark one was the last to do so. "Are these all you got?"
"They are all I could find, Your Majesty" Nadia replied, approaching me with keys. She handed them to me and went back to her position.
I looked at the keys. They are identical, but it has the slave's likeness engraved on the bow of the keys.
I looked up and motioned for the dark elf to step forward. She's not subtle about her defiance. It's like she's begging to be killed. Slowly she approached me making it obvious she was not doing it for me.
When she got closer I got a better look at the slave collar. Full iron collar that tightly encircled her emaciated neck engraved with runes that glowed a faint cyan. In front of it was a dull ruby, inbetween which lies the slot for the key.
"Closer" I said, and she did so.
Her body was shaking. I didn't know why but I knew it wasn't out of fear. I suspected it was rage and she's restraining herself. I didn't care and I reached out with her key and her eyes arched in surprise. As I slotted it in, I think her likeness on the key glowed blue, I twisted to the right but it was the wrong way so I quickly went the other way and the collar let out an electric like spark and the runes and ruby glowed more and then the ruby cracked and turned to dust, and the collar snapped open.
As I started taking the collar off, the dark elf was heavy breathing. I thought she was crying but when I looked at her face it was devoid of tears. Her eyes had a plethora of emotions--confusion, relief, shock, suspicions. I took out the collar, gave it a moment study then tossed it on my table. The dark elf was still before me looking and flexing her hand like she got a new body. It's a shame they got her right arm but with someone like her it won't make much of a difference, especially with her skill set. She's dangerous, even to me.
"Kneel," I interrupted her.
She paused, looked at me like she didn't understand me.
"...what?"
The word came out heavily accented, almost incomprehensible and like a dare.
"You don't want me to repeat myself" I said in a casual tone.
She tried to turn to Nadia and I said "don't" and she stopped, which was a good sign. She turned back to me, seething in rage but slowly going down on her knees.
I kept my eyes on her for a moment then spoke, "You will maintain this position until I come back" I said, "When you feel like you can't go on, you can stand up and walk out the door, no one will stop you"
There was so much hate in her eyes that I thought she would lunge at me. I waited for it, but when it didn't come I walked past her to the freak beside Nadia. His collar reacted the same way when I opened it. He was more appreciative than Nadia and bowed his thanks but I didn't care much about him, even though he had some interesting skills.
"Not a word to her," I said to Nadia, handing her the collar. "But make sure she's fed"
Nadia nodded and I walked past her too. When I get back we will discuss on how to get more of the dark elves, and if for some reason we can't get more then just this one can do, for now. That's if she stayed. If her eyes told me anything she would leave, I know her kind. That would be a shame, but I would rather that than a dog that bites.
┌─────── ♕ ───────┐
The sun was getting ready to set but the knights were determined to accomplish their task before nightfall so they kept their horses going at top speed at the mountain ridge trail. There were two of them and one of them had the banner of the house of Dragonhart of Drakoria strapped to his back.
They could see smoke from the village ahead,and just when they were about to turn the corner something big jumped out just ahead from the bushes to the right, upsetting the horses. The knights quickly reined in the horse under control, and before them, blocking their path, was a big mean looking black panther with a barbarian boy, not older than 8, sitting on top it, left hand clutching at the panther's black collar and his right hand holding a crude obsidian spear. Both were growling menacingly at the intruders.
Sound of a sword withdrawing from it's scabbard rang through the air, and the one bearing the banner turned to see his partner with his sword out.
"Really?" he asked, but his companion said nothing, neither did he return his sword.
The banner bearer turned back to the child who was still growling, ready to fight them if they dare take a step forward.
"Fine warrior, we are messengers" he began in as soothing a voice as he could to appeal to the child. "We have a message for your chief, do you mind if we pass?"
The kid didn't budge. Matter of fact he seemed annoyed by the tone used. The banner bearer became conflicted. The path was narrow and if they try to force their way through the boy would fall over, and even though the canopies of trees are sprawling and thick, there's no guarantee that the boy would make it out alive, he is a little boy after all, but at the same time they didn't have the luxury of time.
Still deliberating on what to do, they heard a twig snap from the direction the boy had come from. The boy didn't look, which means he either knew about the presence or didn't want to be distracted.
The two knights became apprehensive, paying attention to the bushes while not forgetting about the boy.
It was just one person and their approach was slow. Soon the presence was revealed to be an aged barbarian woman. She was very old and walked slow with a hunch. She had herbs in one hand and a smiling face even though she wasn't smiling.
"What could be so urgent that you are considering running a child off the edge." she asked in an admonishing elderly tone.
"We have no intentions to go that far," the banner bearer lied, "but we do need to deliver a message to Namdok tribe's chief"
"Hmm," the elder said, her gaze went to the banner then back to the bearer. "Very well then," she said, "Move out the way for them, Kijo"
"Grandma-aa!" the boy protested, going from determined warrior to child in an instant.
"This matter is for your father to settle," she insisted, "now move"
The boy begrudgingly steered his panther out of the way, muttering under his breath and when he was completely out of the way the banner bearer gave the elder a nod of acknowledgement and the horse resumed it's journey forward.
The sun had already gone under when they reached the tribe. It had set and darkness was gathering over the forest, lightened by the stars that made stunted ghosts out of the cactus growths. An expanse of houses crafted from mud, sticks, and thatch layed before them, and a massive bonfire burn in the middle of the village. The horses hooves must have alerted them for dozens were gathered yet no child and only a handful of women were in sight. The women in sight were fit and armed.
The knights showed no sign of intimidation as their eyes searched the crowd. An able bodied huge man stepped forward. He was almost giant in stature, muscles rippling smoothly under his skin which the sun had burned brown. His garb was similar to Drakoria's new knight, except that he wore a broad leather belt instead of a girdle. Broadsword and dagger hung from his belt.
"Friend, or foe?" he asked, his words carrying no tinge of threat.
A woman moved forward from the crowd and stood beside him, her gaze non-friendly. She was tall, full-bosomed and large-limbed, with compact shoulders. Her whole figure reflected an unusual strength, without detracting from the femininity of her appearance.
The banner-bearer considered them both then his gaze settled on the man.
"Are you the leader of the tribe?" he asked.
"Friend, or foe?" the barbarian repeated, ignoring the knight.
Not wanting to waste time the banner-bearer pulled the banner from his back and struck it into the ground, burying a couple inches of it's iron pole.
"King Daran Dragonhart of Drakoria claims Elgwood as a territory of Drakoria," the knight declared loudly looking at the crowd then settled on the leader again. " You have the options of flying the banner of the house of Dragonhart, or leave the forest within 5 days"
"The fuck--!" the barbarian woman intended to charge forward in rage but her husband's large arm blocked her.
There were angry murmurs from the crowd too. They weren't pleased and everybody seemed to be waiting for the go ahead from the chief to charge but the leader didn't look to have such intentions.
"I take it we are not the only ones who got the message?" the tribe chief asked, with diplomatic calmness.
"No," the banner bearer replied. "All 8 tribes have been informed. You are to meet with the king in 4 days, if you choose to accept. Any tribe unaccounted for will be taken to have rejected the offer."
The knight gathered his reins and steered his horse around. "4 days" he offered one last time, and then he and his partner rode off.
"You just going to let them leave?" his wife asked disdainfully, even though the knights were still within earshot. "I know they are knights but there are just two of them, we could have taken them!"
"Just two of them" the chief repeated still looking at the departing knights now shrouded in darkness away from the bonfire light. "Now why would the king do that?"
He stared for a moment longer then turned and left his wife who was still searching for meaning behind his words then it came to her. It was dare.
"...sick greedy bastards!" she cursed
"Are we going to talk about it, Ragnar?" a man almost of equal size came before him.
"What's there to talk about?" he asked. "We stand no chance against them, not even if all the warring tribes band together. Let's pay him a visit first and hear his intentions. Who knows, we might still have the chance of dying in battle."