Author's notes:
Hey, I'd love to present a shortish preview of the very next chapter of the story. I've decided to proceed with 'the war call' story. However, it's not yet decided whether the second chapter I've promised recently would be the same short story or the other one. I guess you'll have to wait and see it yourself :)
I hope you'll end up liking the chapter, if not, please do tell me what's wrong. After all, it's the only real way for me to get better and provide you with better texts in the future.
It's possible that the chapter will be released as full till the end of the current week. However, I'd not like to promise anything now.
Update (2021.05.20): Sorry for not updating. Let me start with that. The last week or so... was a true grind for me. For at least 10 - 16hrs a day I was coding, which left me with no time for writing. I would like to apologise for that. I'm adding a bit of text that I've managed to write today; with a bit of luck, I will finish the chapter by the end of the week.
Update (2021.05.21): I've managed to finish the chapter. I hope you'll end up liking it. Still, I have one question for you - my readers. Would you like me to finish this short story and then move the scenery to another full-time story, or should I just end the short story and abandon the idea? I would love to hear what you're thinking about this.
Changelog:
[2021-05-12]: A preview was released.
[2021-05-20]: Some text was added (around 800 words).
[2021-05-21]: The finished version of the chapter was released.
Schedule for the nearest future:
7. Story of one lost soul (next chapter)/(The war call|The heart not so cold).
8. Prisoner of Your Eyes (next chapter).
9. Black Diamond (2 next chapters)/(possibly finishing the story).
10. The rise of the Blood Moons' servants (2 next chapters).
11. Alone (2 next chapters)/(possibly rewrite).
12. Last Christmas (finishing up the story).
13. My home is where my heart lies (a long, possibly 10k + words chapter).
Bonuses' section:
Sometimes it's just better not to know (possibly rewrite).
Kiss the rain (more than likely rewrite).
Whispers in the Dark (extending beyond 2 chapters story).
Story of one lost soul (translation of 2 of my old texts - previously written in polish).
Story of one lost soul: The war call: rewrite.
*bonuses will be worked on when I don't feel like writing the chapters pointed out in the schedule :D
End of author's notes.
The dusk had come before their 'conversation' even reached its peak moment. The Druchii wanted to discuss various subjects, especially the ones she found intriguing, interesting. Even though Evelynn had no intention of killing the Asur, she had still put ropes in use, tieing her up. After all, part of her nature as Dark Elf was being suspicious of everything, seeking betrayal everywhere. And… if her life had taught her anything, it would have been the need of being cautious all the damned time.
The witch allowed herself to trace the wounds that only recently had sealed up. Her fingers were gently caressing her exposed skin. A small smirk appeared on her lips; she was satisfied with the healing process and the first aid landed by the Asur. The black-haired woman allowed herself to remain in such a state for a few moments longer before focusing on tied up Akali.
"Do remind me… what would I gain if I let you live?" Evelynn asked softly. "I assume you're pretty well aware of the consequences of me betraying my kin? Dark Elves aren't fond of traitors as you might have heard," she asked another question, putting enough emphasis into every single word.
"You're no longer one of them… their actions already have proven that," the white-haired woman replied, picking her wording carefully. "Of course, you could try to return home, yet… it'd be highly likely that someone wouldn't be fond of such events' turns. I believe… you'd be marked as a target for some assassin," Akali spoke her mind. "Annerith, the woman you've mentioned before, she's already sent 'shades' after you. I do believe that she'd not welcome you with her arms wide open. Or… she could do that only to backstab you in the very next moment."
"Hmmm… as for the Asur, your reasoning isn't half bad," the black-haired witch admitted quietly. "You've described the potential situation pretty decently, yet… you've omitted the more unpleasant details related to it. Still, I'm impressed. So… what options would High Elves present to me, then?" she asked with a mischievous smile.
"It's difficult to say," the Asur sighed heavily. "I'm not a higher-rank within our society, yet I believe… we're more than capable of having a conversation. We… as High Elves, don't try to miss opportunities, and you… you can present us with such," she added, staring straight into the Dark Elf woman.
"Or… you kin can kill me on sight," the Druchii giggled. "Why would I risk my life?"
"They'll not kill you on sight… that much I can promise to you," Akali uttered confidently. "I'm a member of 'Shadow Warriors' if I came to the conclusion that you're to be trusted, they'll allow you to live. You can start a new life with us, amongst High Elves," the white-haired woman tried to convince the Druchii.
"What paths would be open for me if I chose to follow you?"
"I believe that it's up to you to choose your future," Akali replied after a couple of moments of prolonged pause. "Of course… I don't think that every path will be opened for you from the very start. However, you'll be able to climb the ladder, to pursue your path."
"Fine," Evelynn responded. "I'll give it a try. I'll come back with you, and… I'll reveal everything I know," the witch informed the Asur. "However, if something went wrong, I'd die, wouldn't I?" she asked.
"If you decided to follow me, you'd become my responsibility," the snowy-white-haired ranger uttered confidently. "From that moment on, I'm bound to you; I'll not allow you to be hurt. If… something went wrong, I'd be the one to pay the price."
"It's rather unexpected from you," Evelynn scoffed. "I can hardly believe that someone would put its life at stake for someone else. Or… at least Druchii wouldn't do that."
"I'm not Druchii; we're not Druchii; we're High Elves. For us, honour means a lot. You can freely not believing me; it's fine. I was taught that my intentions should be shown by actions, not words," the 'shadow warrior' whispered.
"Quite a speech, I must admit," the witch mocked. "I believe that there's no other way for me to verify your truthfulness other than trying. So… as I've said before, I'll follow you; that decision's already sealed."
"Thank you," Akali replied. "Could you untie me now?" she asked.
"It can be handy," the Dark Elf woman chuckled. "At least I'd not have to drag you all the way."
"Funnily, truly," the Asur sighed heavily as a sort of response.
Even though night had already started its regime, they pressed on. There was no time for them to waste.
Thankfully, tonight the moonlight was illuminating the surroundings good enough for them to walk safely. Or… was it really a case? A walk through a forest is more or less a burden during the nighttime. That instance was nothing less than that.
"Are you sure that you've dealt with every 'shade' sent after you?" Akali asked in a whisper-like manner whilst constantly scanning the area. "Even during the daytime, there're many suitable places for an ambush here. This… doesn't get better whence the Sun goes down."
"Your question is rhetorical," Evelynn replied with a hum. "Who's to say how many of my blood-thirsty brothers and sister have been sent after me. The ones I've managed to spot are currently dead, but I can't say with certainty that these were all of them," the Druchii added calmly.
"I really hoped that you'd say otherwise," the High Elf sighed. "I think we're being watched," she whispered, coming closer to the witch elf.
"Oh… but, of course," the black-haired woman exclaimed. "If I'm not mistaken, there're at least 5 of them there. Maybe… these are you brethren. However, I'd no put much faith into it. I can't smell them; about that, I'm pretty much positive."
"What's the plan then?" the shadow warrior asked.
"Run," Evelynn uttered with a mischievous smirk. "If these are of my kin, they'll not pass the opportunity for a hunt. Their confidence will be their undoing."
Without wasting a moment, the Druchii grabbed Akali's forearm, forcing her to follow. It could not be described as a pleasant sensation; it was far from that. The claw-like fingernails of the Dark Elf pierced through the thin layer of fabric, sinking into the flesh.
Still, she put aside the discomfort and followed without uttering a single word. As if some kind of spell faded away, the hunters run after them. Based on the sounds, Evelynn was right; there were 5 of them. At least one crossbow's bolt pierced through the night with incredible speed. The projectile aimed at their backs missed its target more than slightly, piercing the nearest tree bark, sinking deep. The white-haired woman allowed herself to turn around her head, trying to see their oppressors. Nearly immediately, the witch elf pulled her to the side, forcing her to abandon her previous intention.
"What are you doing?!" Evelynn hissed. "Are you trying to kill us?"
"No…"
Akali's response was abruptly interrupted by the sound of bolts closing by. Most of them missed finding their final destination in the grass or tree bark. Yet, some found their mark. One of the steel bolts scratched the snowy-white-haired woman's arm. Thankfully, it was only a scratch. A couple of others were deflected because of her armour.
"We got hit?" the Druchii asked.
"Only one bolt managed to barely scratch my skin," the Asur informed. "I don't think they're using any kind of poison."
"No… they're not using any. They want a challenge, and it'd carve out all of 'fun' from it."
"Does your plan only include running away?" the shadow warrior asked.
"I don't believe they'll give us an opening, at least not for free," Evelynn scoffed. "Till I find one, we're left with running."
"I might have a bit better, yet risking strategy," the Hight Elf uttered. "The grove to our left is surrounded far tightly with trees. We can run there, forcing them to come to us. Once… we're there, one of us could sneak out, preparing something nasty for your brethren," she briefly explained her idea.
"The trees are thick enough to give us temporary cover," the Dark Elf hummed under her breath. "It… gives us a chance; that much I must admit. Are you carrying that bow to intimidate only?" she asked.
"No! I'm quite a good archer," Akali huffed slightly.
"Let's proceed with your suggestion then," Evelynn decided, leading the 'shadow warrior' toward the grove.
Getting to the grove was easier said than done. Even though the said area offered a decent cover, the slim passage before it was not. For at least a couple of dozens of meters, they would have to run without any cover, vulnerable to the 'shades' attacks. The swish of the bolts accompanied them constantly. Every single one of them could mean the end of their lives; still, they could do nothing more than to search for the cover. After such a step would have been achieved, they could have a chance to fight their oppressors on slightly more favourable ground.
"Arghh," Akali groaned when the bolt pierced through her side.
"Run faster, run faster, you fool!" Evelynn shouted, trying to carry her to the grove.
The snowy-white-haired woman quickly began to feel a metallic aftertaste inside her mouth. Every movement was causing a burning sensation. The bolt remained, buried deep inside her flesh.
With her teeth gritted so hard that pain started to be felt, she managed to reach up the cover of the gove. The High Elf slightly glassy eyes were immediately fixed upon the steel bolt hanging out of her side. It would be safe to save that her exhaustion resulted from her wound, not the whole runaway strategy. A deep breath was taken before she reached out toward the bleeding spot.
"What the hell are you doing?" the Dark Elf growled, looking straight at the Asur.
"I need the projectile removed from my body," Akali whispered. A grimace that appeared on her face showed that another wave of pain washed over her. "I'll be of no use if that thing isn't removed," she added, gritting her teeth.
"You'll end up bleeding even more; I hope you're aware of that," the Druchii uttered quietly.
"I've taken it into account," the white-haired woman groaned. A thin trail of blood escaped her mouth, running down her chin. "Just help me remove it, please. I'll make them pay for getting to the grove."
"Fine," Evelynn simply replied with a concerned grimace all over her beautiful face.
Without wasting a single moment more, the Druchii reached out for the bolt. Her slim yet strong fingers tightened right beneath the bolt head, keeping it in a firm grasp. A couple of quiet words had been uttered under the nose, their meaning unknown to Akali. A quickly fading burst of light could be spotted between the witch elf's fingers. However, as soon as it appeared, it faded away, leaving behind only a smell of melted steel. The bolt head was discarded carefree to the side, abandoned between high grass.
"Take a deep and then grit your teeth," Evelynn informed in a whisper-like manner. "It'll hurt a lot."
Akali only managed to nod before the Dark Elf started to pull the steel object out of Asur's body. It hurt a lot, just like Evelynn predicted. A couple of prolonged moments later, the bolt shared the same fate as its head. The white-haired woman was loudly gasping, groaning, yet she was slowly standing up.
"I'm going to make these 'shades' pay," she uttered whilst preparing her bow.
"What do you want me to do?" Eve asked.
"Hide behind the trees; they're approaching," Akali said plainly.
The Drutchii could easily see how much pain a simple action like releasing a single arrow was causing. As it was to be expected, fresh blood continued to pour out of the wound, quickly panting the Asur's armour red. The swish of Akali's arrow seemed a bit relaxing, steady.
For every arrow the white-haired woman released, 5 or more steel bolts sunk into the thick trees – they were using as cover. The whole situation could be compared to some sort of conversation, a deadly one indeed. A conversation where the arguments were being thrown in the shape of deadly projectiles. Evelynn followed Akali's order, hiding behind the thickest tree she could find. She felt useless, at least to some extent. She did not carry any ranged weapon, so all she could do was to put her trust in the High Elf woman.
"Argh," Akali groaned a couple of moments later. "They have a backup; at least 20 'dreadspears' are coming our way," she informed the witch elf.
"Have you killed any of them?" the black-haired woman allowed herself to ask.
"One killed, 2 more are wounded," the Asur responded, a hint of pride could be heard in her voice.
"Don't let this minor accomplishment get to your head!" the Druchii scolded the High Elf woman. "We're far from getting out from this skirmish alive."
"You know… complaining won't change our current situation," Akali huffed, returning to her previous occupation. "Prepare yourself; they're closer than you'd like to think."
Without uttering a single word as a reply, the Druchii tightened her grip onto the long daggers handles. She was slightly sweating, unsure of what the very next moment could bring. Evelynn allowed herself to close the eyes, trying to calm herself. Immediately, her hearing sense overtook the others. She could hear the grass being stomped by heavily armoured infantry, the metallic sound when iron plates rub against one another. Once a few seconds, the swish of the released arrow could be heard, followed by the clicking sound of the crossbow mechanism. Aside from these, there was emptiness, silence as if nature decided to separate itself from this ironically meaningless conflict. Soon enough, a short curse could be heard from the Asur.
"I'm out of the arrows," the white-haired woman informed. "Brace yourself; they're coming."
"How many?" the Dark Elf asked calmly.
"All 'shades' are dead, 2 or 3 of 'dreadspears' shared the same fate, 2 more mildly wounded," Akali reported whilst drawing her long blade. "Stay vigilant; I feel they're toying with us."
Within the next 2 or so moments, the stampede of her kins' chargé became cacophonic. They must be so confident, so assured about their soon victory. How fitting end would it be for the Druchii to die because of overconfidence? The time for wait had been depleted; it was high time for some bloody action.
The witch elf did not have to wait too long for an opportunity to spill blood. A mere moment after she got up, the first of many 'dreadspears' entered the grove. The dark-iron scally armour was slightly glittering; these Druchii had been recently stationing on a ship. A deep inhale only proven her assumption; the heavy aroma of the sea was wrapped around them.
The raven-haired woman did not give her opponent the slightest chance to react. Even though she was the Druchii, she could not hide her disgust toward her kin. All of them were sadistic, power-hungry madmen who would do anything to reach their goal. She did not fight back her disgust, allowing it to form a grimace on her beautiful face; then, she hewed her trusted daggers into the poor bastard. Despite heavy armour protecting his frame, the Dark Elf felt the witch elf's stings. The first of them carved a broad mark on top of the scally chest piece; the second pierced through weakened steel, burying deep into the man's flesh, quickly ending his life. With pleasure, Evelynn was spectating the final moments of the 'dreadspear', watching the flame in his eyes vanishing forever.
If the situation had allowed it, Evelynn would have made that 'dreadspear' suffer for far longer. Unfortunately, she did not have time to do so. Before the first of the spearmen could even fall into the ground, 2 more took his place. It was getting interesting; Eve flashed out a smirk, challenging her kind before rushing toward them.
A mere couple of steps away from her, the white-haired Asur was fighting as well. If one were to compare these two fighting styles, the comparison would be easy to describe. The witch elf was rushing forward, allowing her frenzy, blood-thirst to show off. The raven-haired woman fought with finesse, moving quickly and dealing dozens of wounds; she was like a blur. The Asur was as successful if not more in dealing death blows, yet her attitude was stoic. Every single hew of her long blade was precise, calculated, aimed not to wound but kill. The High Elf woman seemed to be an unmoveable object, a cliff stopping the endless wave from sinking the land.
Sadly, their effort seemed to be more and more futile; the place of every slain 'dreadspear' was being taken by 2 more. Soon enough, the fatigue began its manifestation, slowing down the women steadily. It would be just a matter of time before fate would ask for their lives.
Akali was the first one to realise that. Without hesitation, she began pushing toward the witch elf, wasting no effort in killing the Druchii along the way. Her strikes became slightly nonchalant, sloppy; yet, she reached the destination in a reasonable time. However, such an attitude costed her dearly. Whilst progressing through the wall of 'dreadspears', she unintentionally allowed a couple of strikes to reach her. If she managed to get away from this battle alive, she would have to thank the armoursmith that had crafted her armour. Even though she sustained more than a dozen of direct hits, the scally vest endured, saving her life more than once. Still, with every single blow, it slowly began shattering.
"Run! Run Evelynn!" the white-haired Asur shouted whilst severing the arm of yet another Dark Elf. "Run, I'll buy you as much time as possible!" she continued shouting.
"Don't be a fool!" Evelynn scoffed, not backing off a single step. "If you die, I'm dead as well, so it doesn't change a thing!"
Akali knew that the witch elf was right, yet it did not change a thing. Though they were still fighting side by side, the High Elf was constantly trying to push the raven-haired beauty out of the grove. She was trying to get her out of this bloody hole. Unfortunately, her efforts were fruitless; the Druchii was not a person to back off; she was trying to push forward, remaining the blur of motions.
"Did you hear that?" Akali asked out of a sudden.
"Heard what?!" the witch elf grunted, followed by a loud curse.
"We're saved!" the Asur exclaimed. "The 'seaguard' is here."
Indeed, they were saved. Just a moment later, wave after wave of the black-feathered arrows began crippling the Druchii forces. After the rain of arrows, the heavily armed members of the 'seaguard' began their assault, ramming the opponents with their enormous shields.
"Stay behind me!" Akali ordered Evelynn. "I'll be the one doing the talking."
Before the raven-haired woman could react, the skirmish was over. The already severely weakened Druchii host was crushed under the unyielding assault of Asur.
"Who's the one behind your back, shadow warrior?" one of the 'seaguards' asked, focusing on Evelynn pressed against Akali's back.
"Call your officer; I don't want to explain the situation more than once," the white-haired High Elf responded with confidence.
"As you wish," the tall member of 'seaguard' replied, nodding toward one of his comrades. "He'll be here in a few," he calmly informed them.