Dragon's Hoard Dragon's HoardThe Strange Little Elf

In the land of Fairie, live creatures that usually only exists in the minds of small children and people with overactive imaginations, like myself. This is the tale of an Elfin girl named Eve and the Crimson Dragon of the West. What great power could possibly bring these two creatures from opposite ends of the spectrum of light and dark together? Could it be fate?

Little Eve ran through the trees, she could here her heart thudding in her chest and her breath escaping her lungs in huffs. "I'm going to catch you!" called her friend Mir from behind. He was chasing her in a game of tag. Stifling a giggle, she hid behind a tree. Mir quickly came into view and looked around, trying to figure out which way she went. "Eve!" he cried, his long braid of golden hair swaying whichever way he turned his head.

"What ya doin?" said a boy's voice. Eve was startled and screamed. Mir ran to where she was and both children gawked at the strange looking elf boy who'd come out of nowhere. His skin was darker than was the norm and his red hair was shaggy and short, which was especially strange considering that elves never cut their hair. But perhaps the strangest thing of all was that his eyes, though a beautiful gold, had slit pupils like that of a reptile. "Who are you?" asked Eve, her voice a soft tinkling. The strange boy grinned; he was missing a few teeth. "My name's Zere. What's yours?" he asked. Zere's voice sounded adorable coming from such a shaggy looking child. He was in no way perfect like all the other elves. Eve liked him immediately. "Eve." She replied, her petal lips pulling up in a sweet smile. "You're pretty." Said Zere, cocking his head to the side with his adorable imperfect smile still on his face.

Mir, who was a head taller and a full year older than Eve, stepped in front with an angry expression on his young face. Eve wondered why Mir was shielding her from such a small boy. He was even smaller than she was. What could he possibly do? "You stay away from my betrothed!" he warned Zere, jabbing him in the chest with his wooden sword. "Your what?" he asked innocently and knocked the play sword out of Mir's hands with one swat. Mir glared at him with his cold blue eyes, "What kind of tribe do you belong to? She's my betrothed. That means she'll be my wife one-day when we're older. Duh." Zere tapped his bottom lip in thought. "I see, but…what's a tribe?"

Mir slapped his forehead, over exaggerating his impatience. "It's a group of different families of the same people. Don't you live with others of your kind? Your family is your tribe." Eve explained, tucking a strand of long silken violet hair behind her pointed ear. Zere shook his head, "Nope. Ain't got one of those." Both of the pretty children looked at each other then back to the odd one. He was only wearing a pair of tattered red breeches. Both his chest and feet were bare. "He must be an orphan." Whispered Mir to Eve. "You poor thing!" cried Eve. She ran to Zere and captured him in a big hug. He blushed beneath his dark skin. "We must bring him home with us. One of the elder women will take him in. I know they will!"

Mir grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. "No. Look at him, Eve. He's probably from the Dark Lands! The Elder Council will have him killed if we take him to the village." Tears bubbled up in Eve's big green eyes, "But Mir" she whined. Mir turned his head to look at Zere. "Hey he's gone!" he whispered with a shocked tone. Eve and Mir looked everywhere but could find no trace of the strange little elf that seemed able to pop in and out of reality as he pleased.