Chapter 14: Elves

Disclaimer: Starcraft is the property of Blizzard and Gate is the property of Takumi Yanai. I own neither.

The group separated as they stepped back onto Falmart. Pina, Bozes, and Tetgyr (and a few Dark Templar, just in case) were given a ride back to Italica, where they would meet up with the rest of the Rose Knights, before heading for negotiations with the Empire.

As for Lelei and Rory, they were asked to accompany third recon to the dragon lair for 'information gathering' the next day. The two accepted without hesitation, then left to prepare.

Tuka immediately left for Alnus Village the moment she could, heading to the house where she lived. She opened the door with a bright, "I'm home!"

She tilted her head because there was no response.

"Hmm? Not here?" she muttered.

After searching the house briefly, she sighed and said, "Really, Dad, where have you gone? I look away for just a moment and this is what happens."

Tuka then left the house, wandering around the village. This behavior was not unnoticed by a certain High Templar. Combined with her melancholy on Aiur, Umurul began to get worried.

As such, he brought Tuka's behavior up to third recon, when they gathered for a strategy meeting to prepare to investigate the flame dragon's lair. After describing her actions, he asked, "Do any of you know what's happening with her?"

Orkir looked annoyed, obviously uncaring. Talis and Agor both had no experience with such issues and hence kept silent. It was Eldryth who replied, "Lelei and I have noticed this as well. She believes that Tuka is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the flame dragon. Her mind is coping by pretending that her father is alive, but she cannot find him as he is not. I am inclined to agree with Lelei's analysis."

"So how can we solve this?" Umurul asked, "Her delusions are affecting her health."

Eldryth gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. "I am no expert in Elvan psychology. I have no idea how to help her."

Orkir snorted. "I'll deal with it," he declared, and he stomped off in the direction of Alnus Village.

Umurul watched him leave, content to let him handle the issue, oblivious to the disbelieving gazes of the others. He was ready to refocus on the topic at hand when Talis asked, "Are you just going to let him go, Praetor?"

Umurul turned to her, looking confused, "Why not?"

The rest to third recon looked at each other. "He's Tal'darim," Agor volunteered.

"The Tal'darim may be different from us, but they have effective problem... solving... techniques..." Umurul's voice trailed off as he remembered the Tal'darim's favored solution to most issues: brute force.

The others watched him float off hurriedly after Orkir, then turned back to discussing strategy.

Umurul was nearing the Village when he felt a powerful surge of psionic energy from one of the houses. That told him two things: one, that Orkir had treated the issue as he usually did, and two, that he was too late to stop it. The most he could do now was to minimize damage.

Bursting into the house, Umurul demanded, "What have you done, Orkir?"

"Problem solved," he announced triumphantly, stepping aside to reveal Tuka unconscious on the bed.

"What did you do?" Umurul repeated, his voice stern.

In a decidedly unrepentant voice, Orkir replied, "I got it into her head that her father is dead and not coming back. She won't be having those delusions anymore."

"You should not have done that," Umurul reprimanded him, floating over to check on the elf and pushing Orkir aside in the process.

Orkir frowned, "I took a simple step to solve a problem. It was clean and efficient."

"You could have damaged her mind permanently if you made even a simple mistake. It was an incredibly risky move," Umurul countered, scanning Tuka's brainwaves. There seemed to be no lasting damage, though she would have a massive headache when - if - she woke up.

Orkir snorted. "Why do you care?" he asked, "The elf is as primitive as the humans of this world. She's worth nothing."

Umurul spun around, narrowing his eyes. Hints of rage began seeping into his words, "Every life is precious, Orkir. And as the advanced species, we must understand every individual's value."

"I did not come to Falmart to protect a bunch of primitives," Orkir almost hissed, his eyes darkening and a visible aura of red appearing around him. "I did not come to worry about an elf. Such trivial matters are nothing to me, to us, and the Executors would agree."

"It is only because of Executor Selendis that you are here, and may I remind you that you are under my command. I can have you removed from the team if I deem it necessary," Umurul replied, allowing his voice to reflect his steadily mounting anger. Around him, a blue aura grew to match his subordinate's.

Orkir was almost yelling as his aura flared, "You do not command me! I follow you because it is to my benefit to do so, though this decision is looking to be a wrong one."

"If you live only to battle, Orkir, then you may as well stay with the Tal'darim! Why did you even join the Daelaam, when you would fit much better there?"

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, as the red aura blasted forward. Never had Umurul seen Orkir so angry.

"Do not speak of them to me! Every day their reputation precedes me. Their sins are not on me! How can you call yourself Templar, if you judge me on the actions of others?"

"Others? Did another choose to attack her mind? Did another force your hand?" Umurul demanded, "These actions are yours and yours alone, and you will have to take the consequences!"

"I do not bow to you! You have no right to demand anything of me! Coming here was a mistake," Orkir spat.

The red and blue auras violently clashed, an extension of the two enraged Protoss as each tried to exert their will over the other. The sudden silence was deafening until a whisper cut through it.

"Then leave."

The soft words cut through Orkir's rage. "What?" he asked, confused.

Umurul's voice was hard, nothing like his usual tone. "Leave. You are no longer a part of third recon. Go back to Aiur, or get someone else to find your battles. It matters little. You are no longer welcome with me."

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down. The stare went on, red and blue auras clashing relentlessly.

Seeing how the standoff was getting nowhere, Umurul decided to end it, firmly speaking, "Do not make me involve the Executors."

Orkir froze, the implications of the whispered threat all too clear. With a final glare on the level of Selendis', he turned away, withdrawing his aura. He then strode away, slamming the door off his hinges as he threw one final remark, "So be it."

And as he left, Umurul allowed his aura to dissipate as he collapsed, exhausted and disappointed.

How had it come to this?

Somewhere in a forest, a small spring flowed between the trees. A large boulder lay by its side, and an old man sat on that boulder. Magic staff in hand, he carefully watched the pupil he had raised. As an old sage and her mentor, it was his duty to observe how she had grown.

Lelei La Lelena stood calmly by the side of the small lake. She grasped her staff in one hand, preparing to work her magic. The old man noted its silver inlay, the obvious sign of modification from her visit to another world.

Taking a deep breath, Lelei began. Muttering ancient words of magic, she channeled her power into a small ring of plasma around her hand. This ring of light orbited her wrist like a bracelet.

The ring quietly split into two, then two again, over and over. As the number of rings increased, so did their size, and they gradually spread forward. Larger and larger they grew, constantly spreading forward, until each new ring could easily encompass the mage.

With over thirty rings now floating serenely in the air, Lelei's preparations were ready. Slowly, she withdrew her arm from the ring in the air, then snapped her fingers.

The smallest ring exploded, barely visible and not very powerful. Then the next one exploded as well, and the following one, in a chain of steadily mounting intensity. It culminated in a roaring inferno of fire as massive amounts of energy was released in a short period of time, sending up an immense surge of water and steam from the nearby stream.

Water fell like rain.

Bathed in the sudden downpour, Kato could not move for a moment. This was far beyond the results he had expected. Be it the impact, the high-temperature steam around them, or the icy cold rain that fell, all of them were nothing he had seen before.

Lelei maintained her usual blank expression even as the water fell, and waited for Kato's evaluation.

"Lelei, you've done a wonderful job. I have nothing to say. Can you explain what you just did?" Kato asked, curious to find out just how his apprentice had managed a fiery blast beyond the abilities of most archmages.

If Lelei was proud of her master's praise, she didn't show it. Instead, she simply replied, "From my visit to the Protoss homeworld, I stumbled across a vast store of knowledge about what they call particle physics. I have learned the fundamental laws that govern the natural world. I must admit, it is a lot to take in. Many theories of magic have been proven gravely wrong, yet an equal number may benefit from this knowledge. The possibilities are limitless. I have simply applied some basic physical theories such as combustion to the spell, which gave this result."

Kato nodded as he listened to Lelei's explanation. If properly used, the knowledge could lead to many developments in every area of magic. Then he remembered, "How did you get these silver engravings on your staff?"

Lelei held up her staff horizontally, showcasing its new silver modifications. Allowing her mentor to inspect it, she replied, "With the assistance of Eldryth and some engineers, I was allowed to use some of their materials to upgrade my staff. They were extremely knowledgeable despite working with unfamiliar magic. I suspect that even they are curious to see how their psionics and our magic will interact."

"And what does it do?"

"I was told that the silver metal can channel void energy," Lelei replied, "I have also been taught some of the basic functions of this energy type."

"Void energy? I've never heard of such a thing," Kato commented.

"I believe that it bears some similarity to the light energy of the sun."

Now thoroughly curious, Kato asked, "So, what can it do?"

Stepping away, Lelei changed her grip on her staff so that she held it vertically before her, using both hands. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, the silver on her staff beginning to glow. Then, in a burst of shadow, the young mage vanished, only to reappear a few meters to Kato's left.

If any Protoss had been around, they would most certainly be surprised at the trademark blink skill of the Nerazim.

"Amazing..." Kato muttered. Most teleportation magic took a great deal of effort and calculations, but Lelei had managed to easily pull it off. "You've created new applications of magic. Granted, these applications were influenced by research from the other world, but combining them with magic and obtaining results from it makes you worthy of the title of 'Sage'. Perhaps we may need to visit Rondel soon."

Lelei bowed at the praise but kept her expression neutral. Just then, Eldryth came along.

"Lelei, the expedition is preparing to depart," she said.

Lelei looked to her master, who waved a hand dismissively. "Go, we can talk later."

Lelei bowed again and followed Eldryth away.

"Praetor, why is the elf following you? Where is Orkir?" Eldryth asked as the team prepared to leave for the flame dragon's lair. Along with Talis and Agor, she was prepared, waiting at the Warp Prisms for Umurul to arrive. Due to the nature of their mission, their primary strategy was stealth, avoiding all confrontation if possible.

"Ever since Orkir forced her mind to accept reality, Tuka has been refusing to leave my side," Umurul grumbled. "We will be bringing her along."

The group looked at each other. Talis asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? It will most certainly be dangerous."

Umurul sighed, looking at the elf clinging on to him, "Yes. We are capable of protecting her, and she is not defenseless."

"Where is Orkir, then?" Agor questioned.

Sadness, regret. "He will not be joining us."

Eldryth frowned, "He is a powerful fighter. Our combat capabilities will be greatly hampered without him."

"We will manage."

Eldryth was preparing to ask further, but was cut off by a weary Umurul, "Please, drop this issue."

Out of respect, Eldryth did not question further but made a note to eventually find out just what had happened.

Preparations completed, third recon left for the flame dragon lair.

Yao Ha Dushi was a dark elf. Perhaps more importantly, she was a walking bad luck charm. She knew it, her entire clan knew it. She fell into every trap, could never win games of chance and every male who ever shown interest in her had met his end. No exceptions.

Yet she never gave up. Despite her horrible luck, she kept pushing herself forward. As such, she was chosen by her clan. Her clan, which was currently under attack by a flame dragon. It scorched their home, razed the forest, and killed the elves themselves. Now, forced out of the forest's protection and steadily being hunted down, the clan had chosen to send a representative to the rumored 'Men of Light'. That representative was Yao Ha Dushi.

She bore a heavy burden: the hope of the village. Failure meant the destruction of her tribe, her comrades, her relatives, and friends.

But she was decided to have what it took. An iron will, a sense of duty, and a keen survival instinct. Skilled with the blade and resonant with the spirits.

She would get to Alnus Hill, where the 'Men of Light' resided. And by any means possible, she would secure their assistance. Not only was she entrusted with the greatest treasure of her clan, but she was also more than prepared to offer her body as a reward. Due to her pride, Yao would not sell herself cheaply. But if it secured the head of a Flame Dragon and ensured her clan's survival, she would proudly pay the price.

Her mind was set. Nothing the universe threw at her would stop her. She would prevail at all costs, even if she mistook a demigoddess for an innocent child (not that she ever would).

And when she finally arrived at Alnus, triumphant at last, she found that she was not needed.

The three Warp Prisms were nearing the dragon lair a few days later. Monitoring the feeds of the two Observers sent with them, Agor was the first to notice the dark elf village. As such, he reported it to his leader, "Praetor, there appears to be an elven settlement near our objective. Should we avoid them?"

Umurul considered his choices. Talking to the elves could yield potentially valuable intel on the dragon, which may prove beneficial. On the other hand, he did not want to involve any other natives in Protoss matters, and they could turn hostile if Umurul tried to sneak past their lands.

He was saved from making a decision when a call from Executor Selendis came. Agor immediately put it on screen.

"Greetings, Executor," Umurul said.

"Greetings. Umurul, are you aware of the dark elf village near the dragon lair?" Selendis asked.

Blinking in surprise, Umurul replied, "Yes, it has just come up on our scanners."

"Excellent. After your departure, a representative from that village had arrived at Alnus, seeking assistance with defeating the dragon. Your orders are now to meet with the elves as a recon party. Find out what they know of the area, and the dragon. When possible, provide a psi matrix and we will warp their representative over to assist. Your primary objective to locate the source of the Xel'naga energy signature remains unchanged. As far as the elves are concerned, your team is scouting the area in preparation for a full force. Understand?"

"Acknowledged. En Taro Tassadar, Executor."

"En Taro Tassadar." With that, the screen blinked off.

Umurul turned to Agor, "Bring us to the outskirts of the village, then prepare a psi matrix."

The Warp Prisms moved to the edge of the settlement, and third recon got out. Agor was preparing to change a Warp Prism into phasing mode when Umurul called out, "Be alert, unknown forces are converging on our location. Do not initiate warp-in until we secure the area. Brethern, ready your blades!"

The Zealots and Adepts of third recon gathered in a ring around the three Warp Prisms, one of which was in phasing mode. As ordered, Agor had not yet requested the warp-in, instead focusing his attention onto his forge.

Ensuring that his team was prepared, Umurul called out, "Identify yourselves!"

As one, a group of more than twenty dark elves jumped out of the surrounding area, each with a bow aimed at the gathered Protoss. The Zealots tensed but did not move to attack.

One particular elf strode forward. Presumably the leader, he said, "Who are you, strangers, and what business have you in our lands?"

"We are the Protoss, more commonly known around here as the 'Men of Light'," Umurul replied.

That sparked a sudden flurry of whispered conversation among the elves, one or two of them even lowering their bows. The leader snapped at them to keep their guards up, then asked, "And why are you here?"

"We have received reports of a flame dragon in the area. My team has been sent to evaluate its capabilities in preparation for a full assault."

More chatter, but the leader silenced them with a wave of his hand, "You must have heard from our representative. Where is Yao Ha Dushi?"

Umurul blinked, caught off guard. He recovered quickly, "Your representative is currently nearby. If you would allow us, we can transport her over."

"Do it," the leader ordered, signaling for his subordinates to keep their bows trained on the group.

At Umurul's nod, Agor sent a message back to the Nexus at Alnus, requesting for Yao to be warped over.

A moment later, a blazing blue light appeared under the Warp Prism, the tell-tale sign of a warp-in in progress. The light slowly cleared, the figure standing within materializing, her form sharpening as though coming into focus.

The gathered dark elves gasped as Yao appeared out of thin air. Awed by the impressive display of what they thought was magic, the elves were silent. Slowly, their guards were lowered as they focused on the representative that they had sent out months earlier, that they had put all their hopes on. She had actually completed her herculean task. All eyes were now focused on the slender woman standing among the 'Men of Light', shining with newfound respect, eagerly awaiting her next action.

Yao turned and threw up.

A/N: Poor Yao. She can never catch a break. Among the Canon story, the Terran version and the Zerg version, this is probably the one where she suffers least. All she got was a bit of warp sickness, instead of being attacked by potential rapists (repeatedly) or getting jailed after attacking Rath. Or whatever the Zerg will end up doing.