Of Ash and Steel (a prologue)

Fires burned and elves screamed in terror. Swords clashed and men fell, struggling to survive. Smoke billowed and soon formed into large, dark clouds. Bodies lay dead staring in horror. Homes were engulfed in flames as the village of Elkaim turned into ashes.1

"Run D'alina! Run! Save your life and our precious Shalindara!" A black elf approached the woodland elf who was shouting in an unfamiliar tongue. He raised his sword as he gave a quick smile to the man shouting and spoke.2

"All hail his majesty. Sleep with the beasts you fool." The woodland elf spun around and screamed in agony, grasping the hilt of the sword that was plunged into his heart. Fire burned in his eyes and he began to tremble, but his knees soon gave away as tears rolled down his blackened face. His knuckles were covered in blood as his sword-driven heart began to fail. He gathered his last breath and shouted one final time.3

"D'alina! Shalindara!" And with that he fell back as the fires in his eyes were extinguished. The black elf stared passed the corpse in front of him and saw a woman running with a bundle in her arms. He pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and ran after her.4

The copper-colored woman ran, occasionally tripping over her dress as she began to sob uncontrollably. She had heard her husband shriek and knew he was dead. The babe was in her arms, held tightly beneath her breast and hidden in her long brown hair. She knew what she must do and was afraid. A large hollow tree was just a couple paces away and hope filled her. D'alina heard someone behind her, her eyes widening as she desperately tried to run faster. She glanced back but could not see anyone. Her breath grew heavy as the tall willow tree stood directly before her. A large hole was engraved on the side of the tree, making a perfect home for any small animal. She placed the bundle down beside the tree, and with her bare hands, cleared out the space. It was large enough to hide a small child in. Quickly, yet very gently she picked up the bundle, tears still pouring out of her eyes, yet they did not seem to hide her beauty. She held the bundle close to her heart.5

"I will always love you and your father too. One day I will find you again and we shall live peacefully forever and always." She whispered in her native tongue as she unwrapped part of the swaddling clothes to reveal a four-month-old child with pointed ears much like her mother's. She kissed the child's forehead and wrapped the babe up again. Making sure the niche was safe, the queen placed her young, sleeping daughter inside it. "Forever and always." She placed her hands on Shalindara's ears and whispered something in the elvish tongue as the babe's ears shrunk, now looking human.6

She gathered herself up along with her long white gown and rearranged the crown on her head. The queen turned herself around, her back to the babe, and mournfully began to walk away. Suddenly, she felt a sharp tug on her arm and found a dagger's icy edge pressed into her throat. Blood started to trickle down her neck and her tears stopped. She had noticed that her arm was pulled behind her back and that her fist was slowly being forced closer to her head, adding sharp pains with each tug.7

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? This is all too wonderful. First I kill the King, and now I have her highness. All that is missing is the whelp of a daughter heir. He held her chin between his fingers and eyed her lustfully. Ah well, can't always have everything now, can we?" He spoke in elvish with the same sinister smile from his previous kill. "But I can have you.” A knife sprung from his wrist and slid down her bodice, splitting it in two. D'alina shrieked when the knowledge of what he was attempting hit her cold and hard. Her screams and complaints were smothered with his bloodied hand as he lifted her skirts. Sheathing the weapons, he yanked her around, her breasts falling free from their constraints as he gave a toothy grin. "I've never *bunny*ed a queen before." With that he slammed his writhing hardness into her, plunging in and out until her knees gave way and she lay weak and helpless in his arms. He caught a nipple between his teeth and bit down fiercely, tearing her flesh, before sliding his tongue up her neck and forcing a kiss out of her. " As I said to your husband," The elf sprang the knife into his palm. ... Pleasant slumber." The queen gave a shout as the creature slammed the steel into her stomach. He felt her body slowly slip away from his shaft as she lay dead on the ground, fear fading in her eyes.8

~*~9

Cylvi clutched the child who clung to her legs, terrified. "Stay close Kalmie, stay close, and keep quiet. We can't let them hear us alright my love?" The small girl looked up at her mother, emerald eyes soaked in tears, as she nodded quietly. Cylvi leaned down to Kalmie, stroking her tear-stained cheek. "You wait right here alright? I'm going to check if everything's clear then we'll make our escape. But you wait right here you hear me? Promise me you won't move." Kalmie gave another quick nod, as she dropped to the floor, crawling beneath a short-legged wooden table, its draping fabric concealing her from the bestial world. 10

Cylvi took care to spread the cotton sheets across the table, tucking the corners that reached the floor beneath its wooden legs. She whispered a solemn good-bye after assuring the safety of her daughter, thoughts of fear searing through her mind. Jessym, where are you? Her home was her only comfort, and the only source saving her and her child from the gruesome war taking place outside her door.11

~*~12

Steel on steel, iron on iron, arrows whistled in the air, as souls were torn from their bodies. A man, no older than forty, swung a sword in the poisoned air. His blade crashed into black skulls, ruthlessly hacking away at the Black Elves surrounding his village. The creatures swarmed around him, and he found himself in a futile fight for his life. An order made way to his ear, split by a previous encounter, from a voice of authority.13

"Fight! Only cowards surrender!" He quickly turned to spy his King at the center of a deadly onslaught. A rabid creature sunk its fangs into his Majesty's leg, preparing to tear off the limb. Without a moment’s hesitation, Jessym released a blade from his sleeve, sending a knife into the neck of the creature. It whipped its serpent-like head around as the slits of its’ eyes flashed at the sight of his offender. They were fierce eyes, thirsting for blood.14

"*bunny*." Jessym had no time to think before the beast was on him, its monstrous jaw diving toward his throat and landing a successful bite. Jessym shrieked in agony before plunging another knife into the creature's chest. The two struggled, blood smearing between bodies before he heard a sudden yelp. The beast gave way, its stone-sized pupils dilated and a spear buried in its back. Jessym mustered what little strength he had left to lift the dead weight off his chest and toss it aside. Out of the side of his eye, he caught the form of a small man tossing spears. An old friend. Jessym smiled despite the pain and lifted himself to his feet. He turned to face a small home, blackened with ash, as a familiar face peered through the door. His eyes widened at the thought of his wife at the hands of the enemy. 15

"Cylvi! Go back in! Get back!” He started toward her and noticed her reach out for him, a horrified look on her face. 16

"He's dead! Our king is dead!" Chaotic screams filled the air, but the two could only focus on the other.17

"Jessym! Don't-!" But her cry was in vain. A sword was driven swiftly into his back as he dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe. 18

"Take her...through the earth..." 19

Without thinking, Cylvi broke from her house and started toward her dead husband, only taking a few steps before a blow made its way to her skull. The force pushed her back onto the ground and she noticed a black elf carrying a quarterstaff. Kalmie! She scrambled to her feet and darted toward her sanctuary, slamming the door behind her and pulling the table away from her daughter to block the door.20

"We have to go now Kalmie."21

"But father..."22

"Now!"23

She felt a warmth trickling down her right temple, as her head grew heavy, throbbing with a sudden pulse. "Through the tunnel Kalmie, under there." She gestured toward her marriage bed, and the two quickly made their way to it. "You go first, hurry now." She jumped at the banging at her door, and encouraged her daughter to speed up the process. 24

Once under the bed, Kalmie lifted a tattered rug to reveal a square tunnel, about two men in width, and began to scurry her way through it. Cylvi crawled in after her, replacing the rug, as swirls of colors blurred her vision. She swayed for a moment before shaking it off and pressing on.25

They continued moving, the danger falling farther behind, until they spotted a haze of light creeping through the cracks of splintered wood above their heads. Cylvi squinted, as the bright streams of light sharpened her pain. "Kalmie, can you see the latch? Feel for it...that's right...yes right there. Now lift it open."26

Kalmie followed her worn mother's instructions and with much effort, pushed the small door open. It slapped against the foliage around them, as the two climbed out of the cramped tunnel, finding themselves in the midst of a forest. 27

"Now Kalmie, darling, we need to make it past the woods all right?" She scooped the girl’s hand in hers, and cradled it gently.28

Kalmie set her gaze to the ground as they started a steady pace. Her breath grew soft as she lifted her voice just past a whisper. “Mother?"29

Cylvi continued walking, trying to ignore the increasing pain in her temples. Her mind, she thought, began to swell as she dabbed her fingers onto the wound she had received. Pulling her hand away, she spotted blood and quickly smeared it into her hair, attempting to hide the taint from her daughter. "What is...?" Colors swirled, crazed, flashing and swarming around her eyes. "What is it?" Pain engulfed her senses, sending every nerve into a manic frenzy.30

Kalmie stopped her walking, pulling her mother to a halt as well, and without looking up asked. "Where's father?"31

Storms flooded Cylvi's vision, as a jolt of lightning crashed through her veins. She let out a groan as her body rushed fast and hard onto the frozen earth beneath her. Kalmie gave out a cry. "Mother!!" She dropped to her knees and smoothed her mother's autumn hair, trembling as blood licked her palm. 32

The smog-filled skies taunted the child below.33