No Threat


It has been three days since that white haired man brought me to this place, the home of the Ommara's enemies. I am not sure of my fate here, but no matter the outcome, it is a better fate than what I would have received at the hands of my father and the mouth of Thanatos. I thank the white haired man for saving me from Carose and I am accepting of my fate, whatever that shall be. I hope that when the judgement comes, I shall be able to repay that stranger and fulfil my destiny.


I am angry with myself, I am angry that I could be so foolish and let my guard down from my evil race. I should know better by now not to. Instead, I have endangered the white haired man and my mother's people. I hate myself for this. No...not hate...resent. I do not wish to feel hatred for that is the feeling of the Ommara.


As I look around these wooden walls, the metal bars gleaming by the firelight of the torches, I have come to the conclusion that even in this cell, it is more comfortable than home. I see other people in their cells, and all of them men; they whistle at me as I walk by and I do believe that they do not realize that I am an Ommara, or they do not care that I am. I suppose these men have not seen a woman in quite a long time.


For the most part, the guards of these cells are rather nice, except for the head guard. He comes and whips me every night, almost to the point where I see the great white of the beyond. He says that he hates the Ommara and I do believe that this is his way of getting back at my father's race. I do not blame him for his hatred, I can understand why he can be so irate with the Ommara for his son was killed when fighting one.


I can not say that I do not fear death, but I can say that I am relieved that if I do need to die, I will not die by that hands of one of the Ommara.


Shakaku looked up from her small notebook and fingered the leather twine the kept the pages together, she glanced around the pale whitewash cell and sighed deeply. She knew that she had put herself in this small cell and probably her death by these usually peaceful people. She heard the familiar sounds of metal keys hitting upon the metal ring on which they hung from and swallowed hard; she knew that it was the head guard, coming to punish her for being born an Ommara.


Her eyes widened as first the whip came into view around the bars of the cell than the armor clad outfit of the head guard. She curled into a ball into the corner and tried to make herself as small as possible. She did not fear these beatings for it was a usual technique for training Ommara, but she feared that she would die before her trial date. She heard the keys slip into the lock and the door being swung open, she was about to peek through her arms when she was struck with the nine tails of the whip.


Shakaku did not cry out nor did her fisage change and this did not satisfy the man. He roughly grabbed Shakaku's arm and yanked her to her feet, shoving her against the bars and continued to whip her. Shakaku could do nothing but grip the bars with her knuckles turning white and grit her teeth as she felt the blood begin to run down her legs. Her back began to become numb as the whipping continued and her ears soon concentrated only upon the snapping of the whip as it struck her flesh.


Her knees began to shake out of the loss of feeling in her upper body, but she knew that she could not fall to the floor, she did not want to show the pain that he was bringing to her. Her eyes were tightly closed, blackness was the only thing she could feel and the snapping of the whip was the only thing she could hear. Than suddenly, she heard no more. She knew at that moment that she was dying and that was her last thought.


*****


Her eyes fluttered open and she tried to make out her surroundings, could this whole ordeal have been some odd dream? Or was it reality playing a trick upon her? When her eyes began to focus, she realized that she was not within the rock walls of the Ommara nor was she in the cell. This room was very plush, and the bed was the softest she has ever felt in her lifetime. She sat up and swooned, her body forcing her to lie back down. She began to worry about the situation, fearing that this was some sort of trickery of the Woodland Elves, not really sure if she should trust them, because of her life style previously with the Ommara.


She heard a soft click as someone entered the room and soft padded footsteps that approached the bed. Out of pure instinct, Shakaku closed her eyes and waited to see what this person wanted. She felt a strong presence besides her and a soft but callused hand upon her forehead. She felt soothed at this presence and she slowly opened her eyes. She almost did not contain her surprise when she saw the same white haired man that saved her at the fall three days prior.


"Veon! She has awakened!"


Soon Shakaku saw another face, this time more beautiful than Shakaku thought an elf could ever be. Shakaku gazed at the white waves of her hair and the sharp ice blue eyes of this new comer; the new elf placed her hand upon where the white haired man's hand was and whispered a spell. Shakaku cringed thinking it was some spell to maim her but instead she felt instantly better, aching only in a few spots upon her back. She sat up once again, rubbing a sore spot upon her lower back and eyeing the two elves with suspicious eyes. She knew that she should be grateful to these elves but old habits are hard to break.


The white haired woman knelt down besides the bed and tried to explain what was happening, her voice was what reminded Shakaku of the winds gently brushing the few flowers of her and her mother's special place.


"You are in the home of the woodland elves. I am called Veon and I was the cleric that brought you back to life after Beladar whipped you to death. This young man is Wryn, I understand that you saved his life at the Crystal Falls."


Shakaku listened as the past few days was described to her with pristine description and she couldn't help but to eye the white haired man, or Wryn. She almost missed the rest of what Veon, the cleric, was saying to her.


"I know that you are an Ommara...we never had an Ommara within these walls that were not here to cause trouble." Veon studied Shakaku closely as she talked, trying to see any signs of trickery on the Ommara's part, "I see in you good not the evil that we usually describe your race. I find it very relieving that Ommara can change."


Shakaku cleared her throat softly and opened her mouth to speak, weary that she might be pursecuted even now, "I am not full Ommara, my mother was a Woodland Elf." She saw the shock upon the two Woodland Elves' faces and she knew that they did not even think that something like this could ever happen. "My mother was a very important elf in Crystyre."


Veon rose an eyebrow at this statement and spoke in measured tones, trying not to bring alarm to the young Ommara. "Child, you are in Crystyre now." She waited until the surprised look on Shakaku's face died down before continuing, "If your mother was important here, I would know her....who was your mother?"


Shakaku let out a deep breath, reassured that she was going to be safe, at least she hoped so. "My mother's name was Asaka. Asaka Delune"


"Asaka Delune?" Veon breathed, "She was one of my pupils before she was captured...if she is your mother, than you would know the song that she sang to those dear to her."


Shakaku nodded in confirmation and took a deep breath, in a soft voice she began to sing the song that her mother sang to her every night as her mother tucked her to bed.


The sands of time has blown in the wind
Whispering to me that my time here has run out
But as long as you still love me...as long as you still care
I will always be there....for you....

You are the star of my life
My one love that shines continuously
You shall be with me everywhere...I go...
For you guide me when the path is dark

The sands of time has blown in the wind
Whispering to me that my time here has run out
But as long as you still love me...as long as you still care
I will always be there....for you....

...My love....


Shakaku stared at the silk sheets as they blurred before her, she missed her mother terribly and suddenly felt her mother's arms around her. No. She looked up, tears streaming down her face to see Veon's ice blue eyes looking at her with concern.


"That song...Asaka wrote that with her future children in mind. That song tells me that you are telling the truth, but why are you crying?"


Trying not to sob, Shakaku told Veon and Wryn the whole story of her mother being murdered by her father and her brother dying to try to save her. She did not tell about the strange happening of her transforming into a fire warrior and her own mission but she told enough of her escape to tell the other elves in the room, that she was not any danger to them. "I miss my mother and my brother Arch terribly...I wish that I was the one to perish, not them."


Veon sighed as the tale was finished, she studied the young Ommara and saw great kindness inside her as well as great power, she knew that Crystyre needed someone as strong as her, not only physically but mentally as well. She suddenly stood up and walked briskly out of the room, leaving Shakaku and Wryn alone with each other. Wryn sat down in front of her, he was already smitten by her beauty and her voice seemed to be coming from the mouth of a siren, but he knew that Ommara were not to be trusted, his father had been battling them for centuries.


In carefully measured tones he started to speak to her, "Thank you for saving my life back at the Crystal Falls... I did not believe that an Ommara, or half Ommara, could ever do such a thing." He took a deep breath, studying the dark haired elf before him, trying not to let his attraction to her show, "Your tale will bring my people great hope, I am in your debt. " With that he reached out his hand and rested it upon her shaking hand and smiled, a smile that was contagious and the young Ommara smiled back. Seeing her smile, Wryn flushed and turned away, thankful for the interuption of Veon returning before Shakaku could see what she was doing to him.


Veon opened the door and stood aside and yet another elf entered, this time much older in appearance and with a more demanding aura. He approached the bed with movements that Shakaku seen frequently in her father, a swift and bold stride that demanded respect, Shakaku lowered her eyes to the ground out of respect and did not raise then until he called upon her.


His voice was deep but not uncomfortablly deep, a very pleasant sound, "Ommara, I am King Quarton, the leader of Crystyre...Veon has enlightened me with your background and I see that you are no threat, especially since you saved my son." He could not help to smile as a surprised look rushed upon her face as her head whipped towards Wryn. "I will summon the counsel immediately and you will have to tell your tale once more, to them. Than we shall see what your fate will be, but I will assure you this, you will not die here. Now rest, I shall send someone to retrieve you."


With that, the three Woodland elves exited the room and Shakaku with nothing else to do, laid down and fell alseep.