Chapter Three

"We are the chosen of the goddes, beloved of the sky and heirs to the galaxy. Our armies are the finest in creation; swift where our foes are lumbering, cultured where they are barbaric. Give no thought to failure, or defeat – we are the Children of Creation and we shall prevail."

-High Elves of Ulthuan

…

"Work! Work harder you fools!" the usual skittering rat-like sound of their overlords sent chills on Enelliery to the core as she strikes the stubborn stone harder causing some of them to fall thanks to the small crack she made. She struggled as she try once more to lift the heavy pickaxe in front of her, her thin limbs barely able to lift the heavy wooden object from where it has landed before. Enellirey has always been lithe despite the taller frames of her people. Add the fact that she is malnourished from lack of food and being beaten every day ever since she is strong enough to walk, what you get is a malnourished girl barely having the strength to continue on living, much less working.

Fear of that whip and fear of her captors though drives Enellirey on managing to life the heavy pickaxe once more as she lifted it high up over her head and bring it down over the cluster of rocks breaking a few of them even more. However that seems to be the final straw however for the old pickaxe she is using. Enellirey can only stare in horror at the pickaxe now broken in two pieces. Fear gripped her heart as the realization sets inside her head that she had committed one of the gravest offenses that her rat masters ordained, the breaking of tools.

"Whattt isss thisss I seeee?" the familiar squeaking sound of speech one of the Overseers nearly sent the young being jumping three feet in the air as she backpedaled as far away as possible from the Overseer that looked at her and then at the broken tool she had been using now lying in a useless heap. "Ahhhh….slavviieeess breaaakinnng masteeerss tooolsss again I seeee. Freeesssh meaaatttt for dinnerr tonight," if rats could chuckle this one just did as it licked its lips eyeing her.

"No please, don't. I didn't mean it. It just broke on its own, please don't, pleeaaasseeee!" Enellirey's screams echoed all over the mine she has been using as the rat-man grabbed her. Enellirey tried to back away as fast as her malnourished form could do but the young female is hungry, sick and weak whereas the giant rat is healthy and fully armored with techno junk plastered over each other. It doesn't help that the nutrition tubes connected to some kind of backpack at its back kept on providing it with some kind of green liquid that converted the Rat-Man's fat into muscle. The claws of the Rat-Man bit deeply into the bony ankle of Enellirey making the girl scream even more as it hauled her mercilessly, not caring about the damage it is causing on her poor ankle as it bled openly on the ground.

"Help me! Please help me!" wailed Enellirey wailed in complete fear and panic as the Overseer pushed past small groups of her people, all having the same long hair and tapered ears like her. Most of them looked only in pity at her plight, knowing that they themselves would be on her place if they ever try to interfere. Those that seemed to have the spine to intervene are stopped by their own fellows, shaking their heads in negative. Enellirey knows then that she's doomed as she is finally dragged out of the mine into open sky where a dozen other Rat-Men are waiting. The appearance of the Overseer dragging her caused excited chattering over them all as two turned to their direction chittering in that foul language of theirs that sent tingles of disgust at her spine.

She simply ignored them all as she turned her slanted eyes all over the place littered by broken metal towers and ruined glass. Groups of small huts dotted the area with figures of her people walking or working back and forth even as Overseers of Rat-Men drove them with whip and cord. Across the large numbers of huts could be seen the Rat Citadel, looking like a giant beehive with holes powering with orange Eldritch energy. Looking at it alone Enellirey felt primal fear. Every now and then, the Rat-Men would bring some of her people there to be eaten or sacrificed to who-knows-what. When a sacrifice would be made, it's pretty obvious. The ground would shake with a small quake and the chanting of the Rat-Men inside the Citadel would be heard by everyone even as orange gas clouds puffed out from the holes of their Citadel. Now she's going to be dragged there to be eaten. She never felt so afraid in her entire life.

"Cooommmeee meaaaall," the Overseer dragging her tittered and it takes all of Enellirey's concentration to simply cover her head and avoid it being bashed open by outlying rocks. She does not want to die; she really does not want to die. As it is, all she can do is cry pathetically as the thing that enslaved her people dragged her to be its food. Oh how she wished she could fight back against these cruel masters.

Enellirey is born into bondage. She never saw her people before the arrival of these Rat-Men. All she knows is what her deceased father told her before he died from too much work. Lack of food and constant whipping resulted to his untimely demise. Before he passed away, he managed to pass down their history, as little as it is he remembered to his daughter though. Enellirey treasured those stories that he told back then when he was still alive.

The two of them would sit at the windows with her at his lap as he would tell tales about the coming of their people into this world. He would tell her of the mighty chariots that navigated the stars. Of the mighty weapons the owners of those chariots wielded taking down anything and anyone in their way. He would describe them in action driving fantastical monsters away no matter what and who they are. Enellirey often imagined herself being the owners of those said chariots wielding their godly weapons. For what they could be, but gods in the flesh being able to fly wherever they wish, whenever they wish? He would then describe how the gods made their people here giving to them the mandate to care for the world bestowed on them. He would tell her of their people's life, living in peace with the world around them, giving it the respect it is due as demanded by their gods that let them settle on this world.

This was her favorite part of her father's story. He would narrate to her how through the power of the gods; his people changed their appearance under the will of their deities. How they morphed their very beings to be one with this world for many generations to come. She loved it, loved that part of the story. For someone like her, an Alf, as her people called themselves, she can relate to that feeling to relate to nature on its finest. An Alf like her take great pleasure on seeing living beings thrive, another thing that most of them had to endure under the cruel whips of the Rat-Men, since the disgusting creatures don't give a care to anything living and would simply strike down anything that is even breathing simply for the fun of it.

Even his father did not know how exactly the Rat-Men came into being. The most famous rumor though is that of the black holes that suddenly appear out of nowhere sundering the gods from her people leaving them defenseless. With the absence of their gods, the monsters, the Rat-Men appeared from the depths of this world without warning and taking over the rule of this world from her people and enslaving them, using them as food and sacrifice for their dark god on that hollowed mountain of theirs. With them mostly pacifists, the Alf resistance wielding some of their god's holy weapons left behind is overwhelmed by sheer numbers and the dark magic they wielded.

Legend tells that one day, the sky-gods, her people's deities would one day return and save them from their cruel overlords keeping them in bondage. Though many of the Alf's have that faith, not many are holding on to that hope anymore. It has been many generations of slavery and despite their long lives for centuries at best; many Alf's never went past the age of three hundred thanks to their oppression.

For Enellirey however, it seems that the chance of even reaching a hundred is slowly slipping away from her fingers as the rough clawed fingers that dragged her slowly brings her closer and closer to her doom. Untold fear is seizing her and no matter how much she struggled or clawed, the furry iron grip of the rat holding her did not lessen one bit. So like any faithful Alf would do, Enellirey did the only thing she could in situation. She prayed.

"Dear heavens and lords of the sky, grant me deliverance, send your angels to deliver me from darkness and grant me peace," she murmured beneath her breathe clasping the small crystal hanging from a necklace in her neck. Her prayer is an old rhyme her father also taught her that had once it seemed been a part of a long prayer lost in time.

"Dear heavens and lords of the sky, grant me deliverance, send your angels to deliver me from darkness and grant me peace," she repeated again tears streaming down her face as she saw the hollowed mountain of the rats coming larger and larger in view.

"Dear heavens and lords of the sky, grant me deliverance-," she never finished her prayer as the rat dragging her gave her dirty matted hair a powerful shake making her shrill in pain.

"Stoppppp…..beeing…noissyyyy…meal!" it hissed in that foul accent of hers sending the hair at the back of her neck standing up. She never liked listening to them or their rat talk.

"Dear heavens and lords of the-,"

"I…I saaiiiiiidd…shhuuuuuttt…uuu- GLURK!" the Rat-Man Overseer never finished his words as out of nowhere a blue orb of light splashed into its chest exploding like water.

Piercing screams immediately filled the air as the Rat-Man squealed like a dying rat futilely trying to remove the liquid which seemed to seep like acid over its tattered armor. The more he struggled the more it seemed the acid eats up its flesh. Its paws which it used to wipe the acid away is also smoking already resembling a charred hand more than a paw with all its fur missing as the acid ate through the flesh showing the pale bone beneath.

For the Alfs in the area, it was a beautiful sight no matter how horrid seeing their oppressor dying in such a horrid way. For them it is a sign that their enslavement, their oppression is slowly vanishing from their eyes. As for Enellirey, she barely managed to be splashed by the liquid by rolling away barely in time. The screams of the dying Overseer attracted everyone's attention. Every Alf and Rat-Man within three kilometers came to look at the slowly dissolving rat until there is nothing left from him but a puddle of smoking blue on the ground. It is a gruesome end for such a pathetic creature. For the Alf's they cheered for the demise unlike the Rat-Men who looked around in panic as to whom and what dissolved one of their kin clutching their power staves that they used for sorcery in fear.

What happened next however was one that the Alf's or the High Elves would soon treasure for the rest of their lives.

Flashes of blue light immediately appeared over the darkening clouds as golden flying things cut through the black sky like hot knife through butter. There are hundreds of them appearing overhead. For the Alf's and Rat-Men panic immediately set in as the golden things whizzed past their skies barely making a sound leaving blue trails behind them. For the two species, they have no idea what these things are and the way they move and fly made a lot of them extremely nervous. The Rat-Men themselves utilized skiff like things haphazardly put together to traverse the skies. They have no need for things that fly preferring to keep their feet on the ground. As for the Alfs, none of them have the experience of even having their feet leave the Earth.

And of course as usual like all living beings, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate and the Rat-Men are no exception to this. Being too used of ruling this world without anyone telling them what to do and with no one proving even a challenge of their crude psychic magic, they immediately lashed out against the newcomers.

Flashes of green energy immediately left the ground hurling towards the golden flyers. The still confused Alf's can do nothing but stare in horror as some of the green energy hurled from the staffs of the Rat-Men shamans make contact with some of the flyers who are not flying past enough making them explode in a fiery explosion of green fire and smoke. Debris immediately started raining and those that are caught in the open made immediately to run for what little cover there is to avoid the falling burning pieces of gold.

Staunch though the defense and resistance of the Rat-Men may be, but the author of this attack for attack is no slouch either. The Warp Prisms, for Warp Prisms the golden things are, are deployed in the hundreds; easily outnumbering the puny numbers of shamans that the Rat-Men possess. It doesn't take long for each and every of the Warp Prisms to achieve their intended target areas and all the Rat-Men and their slaves can do is watch helplessly as the Warp Prisms stood horizontally, its front opening up like an umbrella.

The umbrella spins leftward continuously, blue energy raging on its rods and before anyone could second guess what will happen, energy blasts immediately followed sending Rat-Men and Alf's to the ground. For the Alf's this would be their day of liberation and one that they will celebrate for millenia to come.

Lighter blue lights immediately start falling down like rain over the ground around each and every one of the Warp Prisms blinding those nearest as each arrival blinds the area for a second. For the Rat-Men it is even worse since their sensitive eyes are unused to light so much, being more designed to be able to see on the darkness of the caves and the mountains. Dozens of groups are already walking around disoriented and half-blind not noticing the golden armored figures that shimmered into existence where the lights fall.

The only warning that the Rat-Men have that something is extremely amiss are the "pshiing!" sounds that signify the sounds of weapons being powered up all over. The nearest Rat-Men at the lights never stood a chance.

Humanoid golden figures wielding two blades immediately dashed forward barely seen in shimmers of blue lights catching the unsuspecting vermin as they are cut down like grass. The crude armor and ritual magic that the Rat-Men used as defense barely making any resistance against the powerful technology and weapons that the invaders are using.

"FOR AIUR!"

A resounding battle-cry nearly broke everyone's heads as they hear it echo like a gong over their brains. Enellirey didn't miss the chance that Fate has given her. The Rat-Man Overseer dragging her to her doom lost its grip on her leg as its stubby paws clasped its head in pain. Rolling over to the side despite the throbbing pain in her head, she immediately picked up the largest stone that her hand manage to grip on the ground and hurl it at the Overseer as best as her weak limbs can.

Fate it seems to be is definitely on her side as the throw made contact with the head of the Overseer at the side, plunging its beady eye deep into its socket. Blinded, disoriented and in severe pain, the Overseer can do nothing but simply fall down and roll around in pain as it clutched its bleeding eye-socket.

Satisfaction filled Enellirey seeing her oppressor in such a state. Grabbing another rock, she immediately pounced at the severely wounded Rat-Man, yelling as she bashed its head open with the rock again and again ignoring the blood and goo splattering her entire body. It felt so good, it felt so good killing the masters that had enslaved them and killed so many.

"For my father!"

SMASH!

"For myself!"

SMASH!

"For my people!"

SMASH!

There's almost nothing left of the Overseer's head when Enellirey stood up looking at her handiwork. The Rat-Man's head is near non-existent. Taking deep breaths she laughed aloud as she stared at the dead Rat-Man. She has just taken a life and her brain is in overdrive in panic as it tried to make sense of either being happy for killing her oppressor or being horrified at taking another sentient life.

She's not given time however to contemplate her new deed when her arm is suddenly grabbed by someone and she stared at the face of the de-facto leader of her people, the one that they looked at as their leader despite the slavery of the Rat-Men.

"Caledor!" she gasped seeing the familiar long white hair of the older Alf mired in green blood alongside large parts of him. At his free arm is a long make-shift spear made by parts of a broken pickaxe and a very sharp stone serving as the sharpened tip. Behind him is at least twenty other Alf's wielding different makeshift weapons also covered by the blood of their former masters.

"Come one! We've got to keep moving! Freedom is at hand!" shouted Caledor snapping Enellirey out of her dazed mode as she now focused of the world around her. Too concentrated is she on breaking the Rat-Man Overseer's head open that she never noticed the war surrounding them all.

The once ramshackle make shifts of the Alf's are thrown all over the place either burning or ripped as the entire area is turned into a war zone. She could see groups of golden armored figures running around with either support of a giant large four-legged golden walker spewing energy blasts all over the place with its twin cannon hands. Rat-Men all over are falling down like wheat on a stormy wind as their crude weapons and magic stood no chance against the invaders which moved with the fluidity of the very-air itself. Everywhere they went, carnage followed as Rat-Men are bisected into pieces. The sorcerers of the Rat-Men are also in trouble as they faced off with unique looking golden figures wielding no weapons but covered with electrical miasma of blue lightning energy. If Enellirey's eyes are not deceiving her, she could see that these ones with capes are actually floating into open air as they reduced the Rat-Man sorcerers into piles of ash and dust. Lightning spewed from their fingertips turning whatever it touched into charred ash. And above the skies she could continually see continuous blue lights flashing on the ground revealing even more of these golden figures.

Actually Enellirey felt very small compared to them. They are tall, majority of them wielding twin blades from their arms though some use spears; some of them, smaller and curvier than most are throwing balls of energy that exploded against whatever it touches. Others seem to be infused into the four-legged walkers of blue and gold, their heads the only thing appearing covered by some light shield. And of course there are those with capes and are flying. Following them at the rear is groups of golden drones with energy that seemed to either recharged their energy barriers or simply immobilize their enemy. What are they? Are they the ones that her father has been talking about? The ones that are supposed to deliver them?

"Caledor are they gods?" asked Enellirey as she looked at the left behind bodies, or what's left of them by these newcomers. "Is the prophecy coming true?"

"I don't know Rey, I don't know," answered Caledor somberly. "What I do know though is that they killing our masters and ignoring us. We must seize our freedom first and foremost. Once this is all through and done, then will we decide if they are the gods that we have been waiting all this time,"

Enellirey only nodded, pushing down the urge to stare in awe at the advancing golden tide towards the spire of the Rat-Men as she catches the make-shift spear that Caledor passed unto her. "Now we fight for freedom,"

"For freedom," Enellirey muttered beneath her breathe as she ran with the rest, trying to keep up with the rest of the golden figures heading toward the last bastion of the Rat-Men.

….

The pained screech of a dying Rat-Man in front of him gives satisfaction to the young Protoss as he twisted to the side avoiding a spear thrust glowing with green energy, the glaive at his right side immediately flashed in response and the Rat-Man howled as it found its front paws separated from the rest of its body. Another flash of the glaive silenced the dying vermin, its ugly head flopping disgustingly on the ground.

"For Aiur," whispered Solas to himself watching the last of his ten-man honor guard clean up the last of the Rat-Men around them. This has been the largest congregation of the vermin other than the sacrificial citadel looming in front of him with almost fifty of the creatures trying to rally against their strike.

"Executor Solas," the voice of his second-in-command echoed made him look at the taller Protoss at his side, a great general and an adviser to his father; he is the one who is supposed to "advice" Solas in the field and the young Protoss' got an inkling that his other purpose is to babysit him since in the eyes of almost everyone he is too young to lead an entire invasion force.

"Bellis," he nodded in return. "Have the groups finished mopping up the perimeter around this rock?"

"They have Executor," the scarred Protoss answered. "We are still hunting for a few stragglers that managed to escape but it is confirmed that the last of the majority of their forces are now holding up inside the rock. The other races, the Alfs also have risen in revolt and they have assembled in ragtag groups a few meters away from our forces,"

"Good, that is good. Have our warriors maintain their perimeter and make sure to keep the natives away from entering that rock. The Goddess' Justice is maneuvering on low orbit and the orbital bombardment will commence any minute now and I would rather avoid friendly fire if I can,"

"Your will be done Hierarch, I will relay your orders," the older Protoss bowed before walking away leaving Solas looking at the last bastion of the enemy with his honor guard beside him.

The same anticipation and nervousness that has been present ever since the expedition fleet left Aiur remain in him. Don't get him wrong, he can't be any happier on obeying the will of the goddess. He could still remember vividly that very feast that he attended before that changed his life completely. For reasons he cannot fathom until today, the goddess herself blessed him, an honor that any Protoss would die for, naming him leader and a representative of her will. In a matter of months, he became the Executor of a large number of warriors and the one pushed to lead the first ever expedition of the warriors of Aiur. Now here he is following the orders of their beloved goddess and the light that he felt that day when she touched his head still shone brightly today despite his misgivings and nervousness of leading lives he's charged with. His goddess wanted to bring light and hope to a galaxy that would soon be engulfed by darkness. For Solas, Executor of the First Expedition, there could be no higher honor and no greater privilege.

"Executor, the Goddess' Justice reports that it is in position. Your orders Executor," the Protoss communicator beside him reported.

"Commence Bomardment, leave no stone uncharred,"

"Understood Executor, bombardment commencing,"

….

"BOOOOOOOOOMMM!" the very world shook as if a giant sledgehammer just hammered itself down on the very core of the planet. For the Alfs, if there is any doubt before that this is the gods that they've been waiting for in there prophecy, now there is none.

The very sky itself tears apart in half as a powerful beam of magnificent blue blinded the planet's inhabitants striking itself smack dab right on the mountain of rock and filth that resembles the Rat-Men's fortress. White light flashed like lightning as the two energies met. One side created by foul sorcery and the daily torture and sacrifices of souls offered to the minor Chaos god which serves as the Rat-Men's deity and the other carrying the full faith of the Protoss civilization and the sharpness of the purpose that their goddess ingrained on their very being.

For a moment the green energy shield of the mountain seemed to look like it will hold. The Protoss however would not be denied. Armed with a faith so narrow that no temptation will break and wielding technologies specifically designed for them to be conquerors of the stars, no amount of sorcery or blessing by the minor Rat-Men's god can stand up to their might. The shied folded like a sheet of paper and the squeals and shrieks of the Rat-Men are heard in kilometers as they watched their last salvation crack open like an egg before the beam hit the mountain glassing the entire area in bright light. The mountain never stood a chance. Rocks evaporated in a molecular level leaving nothing of them remaining. The very earth itself is scorched and nothing survived not even bacteria.

The beam lasted nothing more than a few seconds, but when it's finally gone, all that remain of the Rat-Men's dreaded citadel is a pile of ash and dust. As for the Rat-Men themselves, there is nothing left of them but the memories that they left behind on the minds of their former slaves. In time, the memories itself would also disappear as the Alfs would rise from their bondage and take to the stars just like their new deities.

As it is currently Enellirey found herself prostate once more, her face touching the ground like the rest of her kind as one of the gods of prophecy approached her and her people. Truly they are the ones that are foretold bringing peace to the rest of their people. The weapons they wielded, the powers they have, it is all a testament to their strength.

A faint shimmer of blue appeared near the bowing Alfs and the nearest immediately scrambled back in their knees as out of thin air and light appeared another one of the invaders. However this one is different. Despite looking like the rest, it is painfully obvious that this one is different compared to the rest.

His armor is white shining like diamonds with gilded gold at its sides. He is also taller and bulkier compared to the golden warriors who bowed at his entrance. His strides are regal and measured, no stone left undisturbed despite his large frame. That alone depicts skill of a great amount. If that's not enough, the entirety of the Alfs could feel something emanating from him, power and wisdom going off in waves. It is both demanding respect and fear from everyone around him. For a second no one moved as the Alfs remain prostate while the Protoss stared at them, blue eyes calculating giving Enellirey the feeling as if they are staring at her soul. Given the power that they have, she would not be surprised.

"I am Hierarch Destrius, of the Protoss Enclave. Where is the person that charged the attack against these vile vermin?" his voice boomed without warning inside each of their heads making some of the Alfs wince in pain at the sudden thundering sound. Being unprepared with the sudden contact, most of them are caught off guard.

"I am he," the familiar voice of Caledor made every Alf look up to their pseudo-leader that have rallied the offense against the Rat-Men when their gods arrive. "On behalf of my people, I thank you my lord for everything that you've done. We have waited long for your arrival, and now that you're here, I find myself speechless,"

For a moment, the Protoss is silent and Enellirey could see that Caledor is literally sweating bullets despite his proud countenance as the Protoss eye him down, its blue eyes turning sharper at his words. Just as that she's ready to beg for forgiveness at the proud words of their leader. She heard a rumble coming from the Protoss and to blush as she realized that he is laughing.

"You've got bravery young one and in large amount too. Something that every leader should need, I name you Caledor the Brave. From here and henceforth that shall be your title!" he roared out loud and Enellirey found her jaw dropping at the recognition that the newly anointed young leader got. But it seems that the Protoss is not yet finished for he stifled his laughter as he looked at them all sternly.

"Now get up, all of you, for we are not what you are expecting us to be," he said simply making majority of the Alfs blink in confusion at his words as they get to their feet. Even Enellirey is confused. What does he mean by them not what they are expecting? Aren't they the star-gods that her father told her about? The ones who lead her people here and the ones prophesied to save them and lead them to another golden age of prosperity?

Once sure that all their attention is on him, the Hierarch looked at the assembled crowd sternly in the eyes. "We are not the gods that you are waiting for, the ones that your primitive prophecies are talking about. However there is a deity that we worship and honor beyond life, and she's the one that sent us here to save all of you from oppression. If there is any of you who believed on that golden age where you have purpose and a responsibility, then I bid you follow her as we did and take your rightful place to the stars, not as Alfs, as the Rat-Men named you, but as Highborne, the Spears of the Goddess!"

….

Author's Note:

Please review. It took me a while to write this. Im not sure if some of you have noticed, but I am relating the Warhammer 40K with some of the elements of the Warhammer franchise original. Basically this chapter is the prologue of the High Elves in Warhammer.