Notes: Prince Nuada just struck me as such a tragic character, I was so sad to see that they had to kill him in the movie. Stupid twin sisters committing suicide.
Chapter One: Into the Rabbit Hole
Nalia -
I knew as I entered the old passages that it was probably dangerous, that my arrival to this place could be considered trespassing into an ancient and forbidden vault of the Bethmora. Though the information I'd received from my contacts placed this as the home of the golden army, and I was more than ready to get access to the alchemical remains of the magical creatures.
Perhaps I should have felt some sort of awe or disgust at one of the once grand homes of my ancestors. Yet elves had long sense ceased to be noble creatures and much like the race, the prison for the famed infantry was forgotten, decrepit with age. I didn't care one way or the other, I didn't much like that part of my blood.
I was a half-elf. Just inhuman enough to have trouble blending into human society and yet just human enough that the outsiders wouldn't accept me either. My parents had never talked much about my need to stay inside and I was usually fine with either training with my mother, the human, or studying lore with my father, the elf. It wasn't until I got old enough to realize other children went to school and had other friends, that I began to get lonely.
I don't like to talk about that, or think about it. So back to the matter at hand, the reason I was visiting the possibly monster ridden holding cell of the Golden Army. I work as a treasure hunter, sometimes funded by others but usually by myself. When I heard word of this I couldn't help but come without telling anyone else, that much gold alone would leave me in a life of luxury if I wanted it. If anything had retained it's magical qualities I could likely acquire enough money to buy myself an island to enjoy it.
The report on the B.P.R.D involvement here that I'd wrangled a copy of (with no small price) said that the battle had presumably involved the deaths of the Prince and Princess Silverlance. It made sense, there had been turmoil with the underworld that started around that time, even I had heard that King Balor had been murdered by his son in his pursuit of bloodshed.
I didn't know much past the stories my father had told me as a child, that the Prince had always been a hater of humankind. If I didn't have my reasons for disliking both sides I might have been able to see his side of things. As it was, I didn't pity anyone's death except for perhaps the Princess, she had always been a peacekeeper that didn't care of someone's race. Thats what Dad always told me anyway, ever sense I was a girl I wanted to meet her, he spoke of her in the way one might talk about a saint.
I think perhaps he had possessed a crush on her, he never mentioned her much around mom. The thought made me smile, but as I reached the cavern and saw the army spread out around me in a sea of golden soldiers, the grin that took it's place was not about any familiar memory. I was rich.
I noted the room was immense. "Elves never did anything in a basic way back then did they?"
I had to speak softly to myself, it helped me break the oppressive silence and it had been a habit of mine for years. Likely a sign of insanity from my extended solo adventures. It wasn't like I had anyone else there to speak to.
I climbed the steps that were at the end of one of the walkways. As I got to the landing above I breathed a shocked breath in, they had left the bodies. I knew as soon as I saw the half broken wood and sawdust that the report hadn't lied. This place functioned as a tomb now, fitting considering the crown to control the army had been destroyed and effectively killed them as well.
I circled closer slowly to the bodies. One was at the very center and more broken than the other in the back of some paused gargantuan gears. The one at the middle must have been Nuada, the pieces of the corpse I could make out seemed male. Though all elves were a little effeminate so it was hard to say until I'd reached the second wooden statue, it was definitely in better condition and female.
"Here I wasn't expecting to use any healing." I spoke to the statue knowing it couldn't speak back to me.
I couldn't even know if it would work. My powers had always been fairly useless other than in effecting myself. I could heal those around me, but neither side of this silly human/non-human line would trust me enough. I'd helped my parents a few times before they died but I hadn't been able to test it on people that were dead, I never got corpses back after their cruise ship sunk.
"I guess I did always want to meet you." I smiled at my own joke, she obviously wasn't in any condition to appreciate my dry humor so I had to. "It seems like all the pieces are here...I doubt I could put Humpty Dumpty over there together enough to be any good. I don't have kings or horses but maybe after some fiddling I might have some mechanical robots."
I took off my leather glove, never knew what icky substance I would stumble across so I'd gotten in the habit of wearing them. I at least had the grace that had come from my father and could wield whatever tools I needed with them on. I couldn't access my powers with them though, I was rusty but I think having her in one piece would help.
I settled a hand over the cold bark she'd become and closed my eyes, picturing what she would be like if she was warm and alive. It was a moment later that the tug of power flared at my senses and I opened my eyes to see the gentle white glow move outward from my hand. At first I doubted it would matter, it had been more a morbid curiosity, I hadn't really expected it to work. Then I was surprised.
She gasped for air as her color returned, though I guess your lungs being bark for a while would make you raspy. Grabbing my hand a desperate expression came over her face as she looked around the platform.
"No. You don't know what you have done!"
I was about to tell her that the manners of the nobility sucked, here I'm meeting and saving the life of a once hero of my youth and I don't even get a thank you!?
Of course, I was about to learn that she wasn't the only member of the royal family with poor etiquette.
End Chapter
I know I haven't introduced the main characters name in the actual game yet, but when I think to myself I usually don't think my name. Nalia is the OC's name. I'm going to be switching between perspectives. This is sort of a first attempt at a whole fiction being in first person so it's new to me.
-Nera
P.S. Feedbacks make me feel warm and fuzzy.
