Chapter 11: Last Sight
The next morning was hard for all to bare. Either through sadness or drunkenness, most of the population of Somerton; adults of course, refrained from being too vocal as the golden knights arrived. A few did make pointed remarks about the unfairness of it all, that a boy be removed from his family and sent away simply because as a human he wasn't allowed to live in Xadia, despite the fact that he had been blessed by the High Oracle and the Arch Mage of Astoria; something that usually had elves falling over themselves to obtain, as it was a symbol of belonging to Xadia and powering the fortitude to protect it.
As the squad of four sunfire elves, mounted on lion-dogs, arrived in Somerton they immediately knew that there presence was bitterly resented. Anders Florin had only been a golden knight for two weeks, and whilst he knew it was a great honour, a privilege, to serve in their prestigious ranks, a part of him believed that the golden knights had strayed too far from their original purpose as guardians of Lux Aurea, not as the personal policemen of the dragon king and queen. Sensing eyes burrowing into the back of his head, Anders turned around on his saddle and saw the stern glare of a male moon shadow elf with dark hair and blue eyes. The sky wing elf was exiting a blacksmiths, gripping the hilt of a sword tightly but not moving to draw it, it was then that Anders recognised that emblem of a golden lightning bolt pin attached to the elf's tunic and cloak, marking him as a member of the elite Dragon Guard. Anders was broken out of his musings by the voice of his captain, addressing this dragon guard.
"You there! Sky-wing elf of the dragon guard, why are you not at by the Storm Spire? What if the humans attack, you wouldn't be able to do your job!" Anders flinched at his captain, Olvolvia's, tone that dripped with contempt for humanity, and exasperation and annoyance that one of the dragon guards was absent from their duty. The elf in question narrowed his eyes at the captain before he folded his arms in front of him. "Queen Zubeia gave me the week off to spend time with my family. You are after all taking my brother away today", Juri growled, before he spun around and stalked off muttering things about 'busybody sunfire elves' and stuck up 'traditionalists'.
Captain Olvolvia was the the sister of Queen Kaaba of the sunfire elves, ruler of Lux Aurea, and as she watched that dragon guard walk away, she recognised him, he was the sky wing elf called 'Adjudicator' Juri, and one of the strongest of the current dragon guard. And his parents were the ones who had the audacity to adopt a human child, against the wishes and law of the dragons.
Yet, Juri's reaction to them arriving was no more agonising to witness than the rest of Somertons' population; every single elf was practically seething with fury at Zeren being forced to leave Xadia, now that he was at least old enough to be alone in the human realms. She didn't like it when elves disagreed upon necessary things, this being one such example. So for her, being scorned and disdained by fellow elves who supported the human boy to stay in xadia was heart aching. Still, he was human, Olvolvia thought, and human lives were fleeting when compared to centuries that elves enjoyed, the boy would die long before his elf parents and siblings.
Arriving outside the house where they were told the boy lived, Captain Olvolvia ordered her vice captain, an eighteen year old sky wing elf, Merian to go collect the boy and bring him to them. "Where is the the boy?" The vice captain uttered, dismounting her lion-dog and moving towards where Otar and Geencha stood. The two sky wing elves standing beside one another holding hands. "Zeren is inside..." Geencha stammered. Otar turned to go inside, when he was stopped by two more sunfire elves crossing his path with their swords. "If you don't mind," the vice captain spoke, "I'll find him myself. "It is our duty to take him back to the human realm". Both Otar and Geencha scowled at the mention of how they were seen by the wider elven population, and overtly by this golden knight squad, who seemed to condemn them for harbouring a human. Sweeping past them, vice captain Merian entered the house and began seeking out the boy.
As she made her way down the hall, Merian heard voices coming from a the back. One was young, probably the boy, and the other other was that of his elven sister, the sky 'huntress' mage, Eris. The voices were strained with emotion, both obviously trying not to break down fully into tears but at the same they were comforting and supportive. And even though she was in the corridor, Merian could hear them clearly. "Remember," Eris stated, "don't mention your last name to anyone. Your human family was murdered, and if word reaches the kings of the Pentarchy that an Amari has survived, they will hunt you." From behind the door Merian listened, and unusually for her, she began to feel sorry for the boy. To be lost in the world without their birth family, and now loosing their adoptive one too, she realised that she couldn't just rip them apart until they had a proper goodbye.
"And one more thing", Eris added, "remember what dad told us about the three faction of your families former supporters; the rogues, militancy and the faceless order. They're not friends to you now, the groups are dangerous dark mages, mercenaries and alchemists. They would use you to further their aims or hand you over to any of the Pentarchy's constituent kingdoms". Then taking a moon opal from her pocket, Eris placed in into a silver pendant and hung it around Zeren's neck before finally embracing her adopted brother, it was then that captain Merian decided to make her entrance.
Pushing open the door to the smallish living room, she saw a central table with cushions around it; presumably where the family ate together. On the walls were paintings of family members as well as a few landscapes of the surrounding area, against two walls were long cabinets full of books and various assortments of pottery; Geencha as the towns resident healer had many books on medicine. There as a large window with embroidered curtains immediately to the right of the door, washing the room in daylight, and then the main room was connected, by means of a sliding doors, to the kitchen to the back, bedrooms and washrooms were back out of the door and along the corridor. Her heart broke at the sight of the adoptive siblings, tear streaked faces. "It is time, young human", Merian spoke, as calmly as she dared, as she made her way into the room, "you must return to the human kingdoms. You are allowed to say your goodbyes outside before we depart for the breach".
The look upon the boy's face was heart bracingly numb, despite him being sixteen, it was clear that he was nervous and frightened about returning to a land he didn't remember. Taking several steps forwards, Zeren bowed his head slightly to the sunfire elf vice captain before falling into step behind her, as Eris followed behind them. Walking out of the living room, along the corridor and towards the main front door and towards the waiting lion-dogs outside. As soon as they left the house, the boy was swept into the arms of Geencha and Otar; one last time, both adopted parents openly crying at saying goodbye to their human son. It was then that Juri reappeared and dropped to his knees before Zeren and drew him into a tight embrace, "stay safe. Never forget how loved you are by us".
Eris then moved forwards carrying something wrapped in hessian cloth. "For protection in circumstances where magic draws too much attention", she spoke handing the parcel over. With a look of surprise and happiness on his face Zeren unfolded the cloth parcel, revealing a pair of twin rosewood-sky iron daggers, engraved with the runes for honour and courage. Throwing his arms around his sister, the boy wept, before finding himself engulfed by his whole family one final time. "Enough!" The stern voice of Captain Olvolvia uttered, "we are on a tight schedule, and we need to leave now if the boy is to be returned to the human lands before sundown". Juri instantly spun around and drew his bow releasing an arrow straight towards the captain, who sliced it in half with her sun forge blade.
"Don't you dare mock us", Juri snarled as he reached for another arrow but was stopped by his father Otar. "Don't. The captain is within her rights to state the lateness of the hour, but she could have done so in a less condescending way", Otar diffused, nodding his head to the leader of the golden knights. 'Humph' Olvolvia uttered turning up her nose and moving her lion-dog off initiating the departure. Giving his family a final tearful smile, Zeren walked over to the vice captain's lion-dog and climbed onto its back. "Hold on tight", Merian uttered, before nudging the creature onwards and making the boy immediately hold onto the vice captains waist. Turning back one last time, he realised that the lion-dog had moved off so far that the distance between them and the house he had grown up in was already quite large, meaning all he could see were the faint outlines of his elven family in the far distance, outside just standing in silent forlorn anguish.