I'm sure that this story will be the death of me… nowadays. From all those months of writing those fluffy [minus the lemon I made for this pairing: Under the Cold Rainy Night] one-shots with this couple, why can't I make adventure stories like this one? I don't know. I never published a Grand Chase story with chapters before. And now, I hope this one would look good.

I am telling you guys… I am a devoted fan of this pairing after RonanElesis, LassArme, JinAmy and SieghartMari [can I put DioLey, too? OwO?]… the following one-shots are as follows: Night Out (extremely awful), Be My Girl, Lost, Found and Reunited, Under the Cold Rainy Night [warning: mature content! Read if you wanna experience the not-so tender passion!], She Wolf, and Promise.

There you go, you have the one-shots alright! xD Now on to the zero-th (0th) chapter aka the prologue. I need to maximize the pages… and fight the unbeatable writer's block. (I still have two other stories in progress)

Chapter 0: Prologue

The sun rose up with a bright glow at a clear blue morning sky. The clouds spread the entire blue sky as the flowers started to open up from their buds and reveal their beautiful petals. Butterflies fluttered and sucked the nectar of the flowers and flew off to search for the nectar-filled plants.

You may be expecting a shining new day… you smile, laugh, giggle, and enjoy the fresh air. But this moment is never easy for one female elf.

The girl's name is Lire. She is a fifteen-year old elf who takes a noble position as the Eryuell archer. She was never the most admired girl in the entire Elven Forest unlike the rest of her fellow elves. Her long blonde hair tied into a ponytail let small strands of her hair fall down her ponytail as her light green eyes stared in the sky.

A lonely elf like herself… who needs a better place to live her life, needs to get a new life. Why? Her parents died from one of the Queen's invasions to the Elven Forest. Her father joined the druids and warriors to slay her, but unfortunately, Kaze'aze had unleashed her full energy and used her enormous fire ball to burn the druids alive until they're faint figures of skeletons lying on the ground... while her mother, escaping with Lire, sacrificed herself over her daughter and to save her life.

The maidens treated and nursed her back to health. She was a young girl back then when she watched the druids and warriors train in the clearings. The quivers and arrows caught her gaze… it was then she insisted on having those weapons someday until her dream came true.

The female elf sighed and left the forest. She wanted to have a little stroll to some other places. Trial Forest… Trial Tower… the outer walls of Serdin, the kingdom of magic….

Lire brought her quiver and arrows with her and started her short trip to her destination. Her eyes caught the sight of two butterflies with colourful pairs of wings fluttering around each other happily and they perched together on a sunflower and sucked the nectar together. She beamed at the sight of them and went on walking.

She found a clearing filled with druids and warriors – elves – filed up in the area. Lire found a good spot behind the trees as the forest lord stepped in front. The druids and warriors bowed down before him in honor and remained still.

"Druids, heroes and warriors," Clovis, the forest lord, raised his arms to call the attention of the citizens. "Of all our noble warriors who have fought for justice… and our fallen warriors who died in honor," he declaimed. "Our faithful successors have achieved their aspirations to become both journeymen and warriors as well. The forests from all over Bermesiah are once again safe from the evil influence of the Queen… Kaze'aze,"

"Kaze'aze…" Lire repeated softly and listened.

"Many warriors fell from the Queen's power over her invincibility," Clovis continued. "Lich, one of the former druids who perished and used Necromancy to use the fallen bodies of the dead warriors as his minions, has risen yet again and found a haven where he can torment the dead souls from their graves… and use them for his own deeds," The crowd broke into noisy hubbubs. The maidens exchanged looks of panic and worry. Lire bit her lip from the tension rising over her body. "I fear that Lich will soon summon the spirits from beyond the dead and put his power over them. We must fight… and stop the evil forces lurking in the whole Bermesiah.

"We now have young and skilled warriors who will help protect our elderly warriors from those who disrupt Mother Nature… skilled that they have the ability to transform into certain forest creatures… and the goddess of the earth, Gaia, put her essence into them." Clovis closed his eyes. "We praise the beautiful goddess… as the source of life."

The maidens and warriors clasped their hands to their chests and closed their eyes in prayer. Lire awkwardly mimicked the routine and closed her eyes, too, without saying the loyal words to honour the goddess of life Gaia.

The ceremony ended few moments later as the young elf girl wandered around the forest. She coughed and clamped her mouth with her hand. She wheezed and suddenly knelt on the ground. She heard footsteps approaching behind her as two maidens went towards her. Lire struggled from the wheezes and the coughs… she has forgotten she was suffering from a high fever for two days. Her face turned red and she closes her eyes from the extreme drowsiness. The maidens panicked and called for help. A fellow druid arrived and carried the girl's unconscious body in his arms, taking her back to her safe haven and for the maidens to nurse her to health.

As for Lire, she fell in a deep slumber. Her long blonde hair fell like ocean waves on her back and the covers covered her body. Her closed eyes formed illusions from the pasts… the death of her only parents, the Queen destroying the Partusay Sea, the Elven Forest and corrupting the trees with her energy. The Queen absorbed the trees' energies and nutrients and the entire forest left devastated. Bodies of the fallen warriors lay on the ground drenched in their own blood… In her dream, Lire witness the fall of the goddess Gaia… and the forest lord Clovis, and the domination of Kaze'aze. The girl twitched in her sleep and moaned. She couldn't wake up from this nightmare.

She can see the face of Kaze'aze close to hers and her hand engulfed with dark aura, ready to strike her down…

"No… please…"

Kaze'aze formed an evil smirk. "Ahh… foolish little girl, you can't run now… now that your parents are dead and now you are alone…"

"N-no… please don't…"

The Queen let out an evil laugh as she shoved her dark pulse-filled hand towards her and –

"No!"

Lire sat upright on her bed between heavy pants. She looked sideways and realized she was the only one inside the haven. She sighed in relief and stared into blank space.

"It's true. Kaze'aze murdered my family, leaving me as their only child,"

The dreadful flashback of the death of her family still flashed inside her head… the one that she could not get over with. Her father and mother, her only family, who raised her as a little girl and an angel, have faded off her life. She could no longer feel their presence. She whispered a soft prayer as she clasped her hands on her chest and closed her eyes.

"May the souls of my father and mother rest in peace, and may the perpetual lights shine upon them…" she whispered as a tiny tear trickled down her left eye…

She heard footsteps approaching. Lire jolted in surprise and saw Marina, her care-giver, standing on the doorstep and was approaching her, the maiden held a small goblet of water and a clean cloth on her hands.

"How are you doing, Lire?" she asked.

"Not really good…" the girl replied, hitting her head on the pillow. Marina sat at the side of her bed, dipped the cloth on the small goblet of water and squeezed the excess water. Lire closed her eyes in relaxation and felt the wetness of the cloth touch her face. Marina wiped her face clean and dipped the cloth back into the goblet.

"What were you doing wandering in the forest like that?" Marina asked. "You know you're not supposed to stay outside until you're better,"

"I… I'm sorry," Lire said softly. "I just wanted to see the trees and… the ceremony,"

Marina sighed. "So you heard Lord Clovis and his declamation…"

Lire didn't say anything but to nod in response. "We thought all the forests from Bermesiah are safe… ever since Lich has resurrected from the dead, many forest druids and citizens are in grave danger. He used Necromancy to rise up the fallen warriors for his minions. Necromancy has been illegal to druids… and it is a kind of black magic tormenting the souls of innocent people," Marina told her. "It is true that we have druids with the abilities to transform into forest creatures. Two years ago a young boy drank water from the lake mixed with Kaze'aze's blood, making him transform into a different creature we've never seen before. Maidens brought him pure tree trunks to restore him back to health until he had full control to transform between elf and beast,"

"What kind of creature?" Lire asked in curiosity.

"It is certainly a forest wolf." Marina replied. "He would be seen running in the forest in all fours and attacking trolls and orcs invading the area."

Lire stared at the woman intently and thought of the pictorial image of this druid…

"Well, you need your sleep now, Lire," the woman stood up holding the goblet and the damp cloth. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me in case you are hungry or thirsty. I'll see you again later," Marina planted a kiss on her forehead and left. Lire beamed and stared at the ceiling in silence.

"A druid that can transform into a forest wolf…"

Lire couldn't help imagining the image of the druid until she'd had enough. She put herself back under the covers and went back to sleep. The sun's rays struck through the window and the birds began to chirp.

A shadow stood before the sleeping girl as he stared at her in silence. He moaned grimly and left the girl's haven after one last glimpse…

"So that's her… the orphan who survived from Kaze'aze two years ago…"