Chapter 1 – Arquin

Beneath the sands of the Northern Waste is a vast network of mines and cities that would put the dwarves to shame. Vast temples were hollowed out of rock. Illuminated by strange, bioluminescent vines that choked the smooth walls. At first glance it would have looked like a dead city, but on closer inspection one could almost see the shadows of people. It might not have been a dead city but it was a dead people. After losing everything the Arquin's culture had simply disappeared. Only those of the High caste followed the ways of the old time.

Deep in the caverns of the world, the high caste debated their future in Middle Earth.

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"We cannot hide any longer, we are already losing ourselves... I haven't seen daylight for almost three ages." shouted Aceaze of the clan of Longtail. He was wearing a black and red tunic with a hood that covered most of his lizard like face. A hole was made in the back to accommodate, as he name clearly states, his abnormally large tail, that swished back and forth involuntarily. He had green and black scales and glowing green eyes.

"No we must endure as we have always done." Retorted Lork of the clan of Spine. He wore a similar outfit as Hark, except his hood was pulled back revelling his face. If his face was to be compared to a human you could say they were similarly structured, where they differed was that he had no protruding ears instead he had holes in the side of his head, he had no nose but two slits, His eyes were much larger and glowed, he had a mouth full of sharp teeth and a forked tongue and then he had scales instead of skin.

"Endure? We sit on our scaly arses waiting for something to happen that wont, I say we act." Aceaze accursedly pointed his four fingered hand at Lork.

"Aye we act." A person shouted from the onlooking crowd of High castes.

"YES!"

A chorus of "YES'S" echoed throughout the hall.

Lork rubbed his scaly brow in frustration. "It would seem... that I have been voted against. Very well, we will act" he concurred. "But we must learn of this new world: culture, races, cities, maps, news, before we can even think about all of us leaving the solitude and safety of the depth... we must send a scout. One scout."

Aceaze nodded, "you are right, to step blindly into this new world would be folly... if I may... I think I know who we could send."

"Who?" Lork asked suspiciously.

"Your daughter." Aceaze deadpanned.

A venomous hiss erupted from Lork. His daughter was Halei of clan Spine, she was a part of the armed forces of the Arquin. A small but ruthlessly efficient force, it was always considered to be peculiar that one of the high caste would stoop to such a level. Halei was after all a peculiar girl, she was also one of the most deadliest soldiers in the armed forces.

Murmurs of agreement whispered throughout the crowd.

"You can't be serious." Lork shouted at the murmuring assembly.

"She is the best, if anyone can get this 'scouting' over and done with, it is her" said Aceaze stated in a monotone voice.

Lork looked around his fellow high castes hoping someone would support him. It was not so. "FINE..." he hissed. "I will inform her of YOUR decision." And with that he stalked out of the chamber fuming, which is hard to do if you're cold blooded.