Chapter 1

In a world of elves, dragons, and fairies long in the past. Magic coursed through every elf giving them a power of a clan. There was a small clan that was shunned by others for their power, transformation, they were known as the Rysoudre. When a Rysoudre transformed they could become another clan and use the power of that clan, though only for as long as the Rysoudre could hold the transformation.

The Rysoudre clan was loathed by almost every one. Many of the Rysoudre were killed for what was their clan, when some one found out their nature. When one was born the parents bribed the doctor to not reveal the family's secret. It had made many Rysoudre poor and homeless.

One girl in particular was a Rysoudre. She lived in a forest that neighbored a village named Luin. The clan that mainly populated Luin were the Plante. It was a farming village. Other elves lived in the village that were not born in the Plante clan, mainly for other jobs that were needed. The Rysoudre lived in a cave that was two miles form where the forest met the edge of Luin. Every one in Luin knew of the female Rysoudre and had attempted to capture her. As the next morning appeared on the horizon of a day that every one thought was normal, ignorant to what was going to happen.

"Looks like I need more food..." The girl said as she stamped out the fire. The air was slowly cooling down, warning of the coming of winter. Hunting was going to become difficult due to animal hibernation. The Rysoudre wore clothing fashioned out of animal skins, she also wielded a bow and spear, handcrafted by her self. She even had a quiver, also made of animal skin, filled with an assortment of different arrows. Her hair was a mess, unkempt, and raged.

After a quick check of her equipment and surroundings the Rysoudre started her two mile run to the town. As she was running she was staying alert so that she could avoid being seen by any one foraging in the forest. Another reason is that Luin had started a guard force at the edge of the town so that they could catch her. They have been unsuccessful in the matter.

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The Rysoudre reached the close to the edge of the tree line and climbed a tall oak tree to jump to the edge of the tree line and avoid the guard. When she had reached as high as she could climb in the tree a thought came across her mind, "Morons," at the thought she noticed a new guard and lightly bit her lip, "Great... now I have to revise my plan a tad."

As the girl thought one of the other guards walked over to the new one and said, "Hey why so glum, Cyrus?"

"This job sucks, that's what," The boy Cyrus said replied staring sternly at his co-worker. He was dressed in a simple cloth uniform and was not wearing a helmet. The other guard was wearing a matching outfit. Both of the boys had a simple iron sword and a bow with a few arrows to go with the bow, "It's been a year since this guard was commissioned and has failed to catch the Rysoudre."

"So? We get out of working on the farms."

"Our power isn't fighting, its growing good crops, Dante."

"You think I don't know that?"

"And how is this suppose to protect us?" Cyrus asked as he held some of the cloth in his hands.

Dante just shrugged and looked out into the forest, "Hey how many people are out foraging?"

"Three, why ask?"

"I'm hoping the shape-shifter isn't coming today."

"To lazy to catch her?"

"No. I just have a bad feeling about today."

"You're just paranoid."

The girl had revised her plan and sprung into it by jumping off of the branched she perched on and caught herself from falling to the ground by catching a branch of a tree in front of her, then she used her momentum from the previous jump and swung to the next tree. She did this till she was hanging from a tree at the edge, the girl climbed up onto the branch and quickly jumped to a smaller tree that was next to a house. Cyrus saw movement out of the corner of his eyes and got his bow out and notched an arrow.

"It's probably a bird, Cyrus," Dante said taping Cyrus on the shoulder. Cyrus jumped and shot the arrow on accident. The arrow shot past the girl who was hiding in the shadow of the house and is barely missed her.

" Great, you scared me and now I have to go fetch the arrow," Cyrus said as he lowered the bow. The Rysoudre heard and moved around the corner as fast as she could with out being seen. Cyrus had walked over and found the arrow in the back wall of the house, he yanked it out and put in back in his quiver.

The girl saw an opening and made a mad dash at the open air market. As she grabbed what she could some one spotted her and yelled out, "It's the shape-shifter!" The girl still ran and shove food in a small satchel and into her quiver. Cyrus and Dante both heard the call of the Rysoudre being spotted and ran to catch her. When the girl was content with what she obtained she turned and began to run back to the forest and pulled her spear off her back.

"Well it looks like she came today!" Dante said as the drew their swords and charged at the girl. The Rysoudre slashed out at both of the guards with the spear tearing some of the cloth armor they wore as they dodged her spear.

"Get out of my way!" she ordered at Dante and Cyrus, as she slashed ferociously at them. At a point She got them to part enough that she ran full speed going between them. Once her back was turned to them Cyrus pulled out his bow again and notched an arrow and shot at her. It missed, but Cyrus shot another one and it hit her in her exposed shoulder blade. It knocked the wind out of her but she bit down on her lip hard and continued running. Both Dante and Cyrus started to run faster when the arrow hit her and they were almost to catch her. But when they reached the trees The girl started running in a fashion that confused both of the guards. When they were far behind her She climbed a tree. Even though her arm told her to not climb she did it any way.

"Were did she go?" Cyrus asked as they appeared in a spot the girl could see them. He had taken out his sword again and was looking all around the trees. The Rysoudre painfully pulled her bow off her back and notched an arrow. She aimed it Cyrus, she shot it and it hit it's mark. Cyrus yelled in pain for the arrow pierced him in his lower back.

"Cyrus!" Dante yelled as he ran over to his co-worker and attempted to hold Cyrus up on his feet. Cyrus was heavy and bleeding like crazy, "Hang in there!"

The girl stayed still in the tree holding her wound. She thought to herself, "Crud. This is going to take some time to heal. Lucky shot, that boy had."

Dante slowly started to drag Cyrus back to Luin. The Rysoudre accidentally lost her balance and fell off the branch. She fell for a while and landed painfully on her injured shoulder. The movement she caused made Dante quickly prop Cyrus against a tree and draw his sword. He quietly snuck over to her as she tried to get up. Her left arm was broken by the fall. Dante then demanded, "Stay where you are, shape-shifter!"

She got to her knees and glared at him through her bangs, her red eyes were filled with tears. Dante stopped dead as he had a stare down with the Rysoudre, and he lowered his sword. The girl yelled at him, "What are you waiting for?! Don't you want to be a hero, the one who killed me?!"

Cyrus had crawled over and saw the scene. Dante looked at his co-worker to see what he would say. Cyrus was not even paying attention to Dante, he was looking at the Rysoudre with a interest. Dante sheathed his sword and stated flatly, "No."