Author's notes:

Hey, sorry that I didn't post for such an extended period of time, but I had surgery and to be honest I didn't feel like writing anything at all. I would like to share a couple of words that I wrote. Expect the full chapter to be ready in a few days.

28.05.2020 - another few hundreds of words, let me know what do you think :)

30.05.2020 (my time UTC +2) - finished.

I have a question, do you want me to do more than 2 parts of that story, or should I just move it to the separate work?
I planned to write more, but in the end, I think it was a good moment to finish the chapter.
Sorry that it is that short.

I would love to know what you think about it.

To say that Akali was satisfied with how her life has developed, would be a pretty damned sarcastic joke. The young woman – according to elven standards – spent nearly her entire life to reach one goal that was set for her by her parents on their dying breath. She was supposed to become a swordmaster or loremaster, but life didn't go as she had hoped. Even though Akali was able to obtain a small house outside of Hoeth, she wasn't accepted into the White Tower. For her, it was a punch that nearly brought her to her knees. Back then, all she wanted to do was to cry, but she couldn't. It would be even worse if she did so. As soon as the young woman was done with blaming herself, she already had a new plan in her mind.

Becoming a member of Shadow Warriors took her the better part of the next ten years. Still, in the end, she managed to overcome the final challenge. Akali was very different from other members of the elite unit. Firstly, she wasn't born in Nagarythe, and she looked different. The young assassin was slim but athletic, a bit pale, because of her pure-white hair, she could be mistaken as a Druchii. Secondly, Akali couldn't hide for long the fact that she wanted to join Shadow Warriors because she was rejected by the loremasters. For nearly all of her comrades, it was the highest honor to become an elite scout, but for the white-haired woman, it was just a backup plan. Last but not least, the girl still didn't entirely forget about her goal. Wherever her parent where, whether it was in the afterlife or somewhere else, she wanted them to be proud of her. All she wanted was to fulfill the final task that she was given by them. To tell the truth, Akali didn't manage to make even a single friend in her training group. It was, in fact, the opposite, all of them either disliked the young woman or even hated. The white-haired shrugged that fact off. She was all too aware that everyone was waiting for her to make a mistake. To some extent, it made Akali work harder than she has ever done. However, on the other hand, sometimes that thought made her life even more pitiful than it had been already.

Dozens of long years passed, but Akali succeeded in her backup plan. All of her hard work paid off, she became a Captain. She would have to lie if she said that she wasn't happy. The very moment the council consisted of elite members of Shadow Warriors promoted her, her heart skipped a beat. She was the visible jealousy in the eyes of her fellow comrades. To be frank, she thought that the entire promotion ceremony would last longer. Still, unfortunately, it was only a couple of minutes or even less. As soon as the white-haired was officially informed about her next rank, she was about to get her first assignment. Akali was asked to follow one of the veterans who would give her specific intel about her mission and her new team.

When they entered a meeting room on the very top level of their HQ, ten additional people were already waiting for them. All of the rangers were males, and by the look of their eyes, they weren't noobies. The compartment was very poorly decorated. Frankly saying, the only furniture in the entire room was a large wooden table with an old map laying on it. The senior officer pointed out on the map, encouraging Akali to walk up to it.

"The Druchii have been spotted near The Blighted Isle," Mirethill started in the cold as the north wind tone. "Those savage beasts can be lurking around the Shrine of Khaine. Your only task is to verify those pieces of information. Under no circumstances try to engage the Dark Elves. There might be more of them. Any questions?"

"How much time do we have?" Akali asked.

"We will teleport you to Tor Anlec, and I will have a mage waiting for you there for a week, not a single day longer. If you don't reach the city in time, we … I will assume you are dead. Am I clear?" The senior ranger asked.

"I have no more question, Sir," the white-haired woman replied. "I assume we're going to be dispatched today?"

"Yes, the quicker, the better," Mirethill responded. "Your new team is here, and they are waiting for orders. And pale-queen, don't fuck up the job."

"Yes, Sir. I guess there is nothing more to say."

"There is nothing to add, indeed," the veteran replied. "Follow me, I will lead you to the departure area."

"As you command," the team responded.

After at most 15 minutes they reached the teleportation zone. The senior soldier led them through the back of the HQ, then they entered the narrow alleys that were nearly hugging the walls. The last rays of the sunlight could be spotted through the canopies of the nearest buildings. At the very end of the path, a single hooded person was standing next to the enormous waystone. Based on the person's height, it was a woman.

"Lirithil, on time as always," Mirethill greeted the hooded woman.

"The order must be fulfilled," the mage replied in a bored manner. "As I assume, that is the team you had told me about earlier?"

"Yes. Teleport them to the Tor Anlec, and then wait for at max 7 days."

"You have the audacity to give me a direct order, ranger," Lirithil rose her voice slightly. "You are just a scout, don't you dare to compare yourself with mages."

"Whatever, do your part of the job," the man insisted.

"Don't worry about that, I am here, and I am about to do my job."

"I hope so."

The mag pulls her hood off, revealing her long, blond, shiny hair and pretty, noble face. Akali would say that Lirithil was probably not that much older than herself. The blond-haired magnus was cocky, the trait that would sooner or later fall off with age. The mag looked briefly at every member of the team. Her clear blue-sky eyes were so cold that the young woman got goosebumps as soon as Lirithil focused on her. It might be just a few seconds, but for Akali, it felt like a lot more. As soon as the mag was done with her inspection, she began the incantation.

"I want all of you to enter the circle when it starts to form," the blond said in a neutral tone. "You may feel a bit of dizziness shortly after the teleportation."

The bluish arcane energy was gathering around the mag. The fluctuations were magnificent. The spirals, ellipses, squares, and countless other creations were made off of the raw magic that was floating through the air. As Lirithil informed them, the small circle in purple color started to manifest shortly after. The very first moment, Akali noticed it, she led her team forward. It took the mag a minute or so to create the glyph entirely. Soon enough, the energy exploded. Everything around the rangers faded away as if they were sucked into the oblivion. That stance lasted maybe a few seconds, but it was hard to tell. All of Akali's senses seemed to be off while they were being teleported.

Suddenly, the young ranger was blinded by the light. The white-haired woman was standing next to a similar waystone surrounded by her team. The light that blinded her was coming from the street lamps placed nearby. The young woman wanted to say something, but the very moment she opened her mouth, she felt nauseous. As quickly as she could, Akali knelt down, put down her backpack, and retrieved the green vail from it. With her shaky hand, the ranger managed to unbutton the glass and purred its contents to her throat. Immediately Akali felt the burning sensation as the liquid was coming down her throat. She felt weak, she felt exhausted, she felt sick. In no-time, she fainted. Her mind embraced the darkness and fell down into dreamless sleep.