Disclaimer: The recognizable characters appearing in this story are © Wizards of the Coast, Inc., all rights reserved. They are used without permission and for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made by the author for writing this story. No infringement upon nor challenge to the rights of the copyright holders is intended; nor should any be inferred.

The Champion

Lokteruost always new that he was different from the other children in the city. Although his parents were Gold Elves, he did not resemble them very much. His skin was pale as cream, and his hair was an odd shade of black with blue highlights. He had violet eyes, a trait none of his relatives possessed. His parents constantly fought with each other. They decided that the nanny must have switched children, for spite. There was no way this child could be a Durothil. Perhaps he was a throwback from the days when the Durothils and the Moonflowers, but no Moonflower had features that stark either. It was a fluke, a mistake the child was there.

They considered Lokteruost an embarrassment and had sent him away. No child that had those physical features could be their son. He lived in the orphanage maintained by Aria Moonflower.

He remembered the first day he arrived at the orphanage.

"What is your name, little one?" the nice lady had asked.

Before he could even think he blurted out, "Lokteruost"

The servant that had brought Lokteruost to the orphanage clubbed him on the head and said," now don't lie to this lady. You were given the name Tereva."

"It may be the name I was given," the youngster said to the servant," given by those who called themselves my parents. Given to me, by those who have sent me away because I look too different from any of their family. I may only be ten, but I know the name Lokteruost was given to me at my birth. Since they discarded me, I can discard the name they gave me. My name is Lokteruost!"

The servant just gave an indignant look, turned and walked away.

"You may have any name you wish, now that you are here. If your name is Lokteruost, then you are Lokteruost. It is not my wish to cause you any more stress than you have already endured."

Aria was of the firstborn of the refugees of faerie. She noticed that in the past few years of her running of the orphanage, more and more of the Gold Elves were discarding any children that did not meet their strict standards of beauty. It disgusted her that the Gold Elves could be so vain. Children were blessings, no matter how they looked. Aria had spent years trying to have a child of her own, but through the deaths of three husbands from war or illness, she decided these whom were cast away would be her children.

Lokteruost settled into life at the orphanage quickly. He loved being around other children who felt as he did. He helped any way he could. He had an unusual strength for his age and a sense of patience. He loved to work in the gardens the best.

He had a sense of composure and wisdom that was way beyond his years.

Aria's only big concern for Lokteruost were his constant nightmares.

"The Gold Elves must have done something horrible to him when he was just a small baby. He may have these nightmares all of his life." one of Aria's helpers commented "Lokteruost is an extremely beautiful child" Aria said to herself, "His beauty almost seems immortal. How could those snooty Gold Elves torture such a gentle soul?"

Despite many of the other children being adopted, Lokteruost remained at the orphanage. When he turned twenty-seven, he decided that he would help Aria manage the orphanage. Lokteruost had grown from a beautiful child, to an extremely handsome young adult. Aria had to fend off girls who wanted to volunteer at the orphanage, not to work, but to be able to get close enough to Lokteruost to perhaps win his heart. Lokteruost, took little interest in the fawning females. There were only three things that held his interest for long, and females were not among the three.

He loved to go to the temple and pray. He was becoming one of the most promising clerics the local Church of Corellon Larethian had ever seen.

He loved to practice with his sword, the swordsmen who taught him thought of him as a prodigy of the long sword. Even at such a young age, he was nearly as good as the best of them.

He loved to garden, especially flower gardening. Among all of the flowers he planted and cultivated, the purplish blue ones that were called Demadin'amin were his favorites. Many of the girls who sought his favors brought him this flower in a variety of shades, from pure white to stunning violet. He only accepted the flowers that he could plant. He always felt calm and at peace around those particular flowers. Yet he could not fathom why those, above all other flowers he liked, made him feel so.

Among the young females who did work at the orphanage, only one held his attention for long. Because, he knew, that his was the one female his age he was safe around.

Luinil Durothil would have been his older sister, if his family had decided to keep him. She agreed with Aria Moonflower that children should not be discarded so. She came to make sure her little brother was alright. She also had enough influence to help Lokteruost gain the finest instructors in the arts of the sword. It was one gift she knew she could give him.

She loved her brother, even if her parents did not care for him in the slightest.

Luinil was very masterful with the sword. She had the presumption that with she and Lokteruost around to defend the orphans, and possibly the city if need be, they would be the victors.

"Lokteruost, are you afraid of girls?" Luinil asked him one afternoon as he was weeding his flower bed.

"No, not really. You might think I am being snooty, but most of them seem to be unworthy of me or me be unworthy of them. I know I should not feel like this, but as you can see, I am not like any other elf in Tieratarengir. Believe me, I have looked for others with hair or eyes like mine. No Moon Elf, gold elf, or green elf that I have ever seen has hair or eyes this color. I am a freak, an oddity, and I accept it."

"Well, despite your, so called, odd appearance, you are extremely handsome. You are the envy of every male in this city. Did you know that. They say you have the face of Corellon himself. I have looked at the statues in the chapels, and I must admit, there is a striking resemblance."

"What are you saying Luinil? Do you think I am some sort of godling?"

"No, but with that face and that hair and those eyes, you truly are the handsomest male in the city. If I were not you sister, I would woo you myself."

Lokteruost whirled around and looked Luinil in the eyes," Are you serious in what you are saying?"

"Yes, of course I am."

"I must confess that I have felt much the same way, towards you. But, we can not escape who we are, so I will have to find another who stirs my mind and my passions as much as you do." He said with a slight chuckle.

Luinil smiled," quit teasing."

"Alright, I will. But how do you know I am teasing?"

"You are hopelessly stubborn, Lokteruost."

As the years passed, those words he spoke to Luinil haunted him. Did he really feel that way towards her? It was not unusual for cousins to marry, but she was a closer relative than that. He decided to pour those feelings into his work.

One day, Aria Moonflower came to Lokteruost do discuss the current situation involving the city.

"Lokteruost, you know and I know you are the best swordsman and healer in the city. The orcs and their Iliytheri allies have been attacking Tiertarengir more directly as of late. You do a very good job helping with the children, but I have many good helpers now. As much as I care for you, I must ask you to go and help defend the city. You are needed more there. If Tiertarengir falls, what will happen to the orphanage? For the good of us all, I must ask you to leave. Luinil is waiting to take you where you will be most needed. I will miss you. Be safe."

"Mother, how can you say this?"

"Because I care," Aria simply replied, "and there is no one else who can match your skill. I want you to quit hiding here. Faerun needs you."

"Alright," Lokteruost said as he gathered up his armor and his sword," I promise to return home."

"Not that sword," Aria said as she held out a long sword in an ornate sheath, " This was the sword of my first husband. It is a holy sword, and its name is enlightenment. I want you to have it. I feel you are the only one who could successfully wield it anyway. My first husband certainly could not, despite how well he tried. He abandoned it, told me to give it to the first warrior who had the right to wield it. You are the only one I have ever met that fit. Use it well."

"I will, mother."

"Let me fix your hair. You can not go to war with that long hair flying about. I will put it in braids for you"

Lokteruost met his sister and her superior officer, Heren. They set out for the forest to go meet the orcs head on.

As they passed through the streets, many other warriors followed quickly behind them.

Young girls squealed about how handsome Lokteruost was with his hair done that way.

The crowd cheered and threw flower petals to wish the warriors well on their way to go fight the orcs.

The regiment of warriors made camp and waited. They were here to defend their borders, not expand them. Let the news from the scouts dictate whether to advance further or not.

The first battle was not nearly what Lokteruost had expected. Orcs were clumsy and slow. With the score of seasoned warriors, and Luinil ant his side, it seemed more like play than warfare. Lokteruost was quickly beginning to get bored when a scout rushed into camp.

"Dark elves! The dark elves are coming from the south."

"Alright," Heren said," We need to go out and meet those Ilytheri before they gain any more ground. Lokteruost, Luinil, I want you two to lead the first wave. We will need Lokteruost's holy spells to keep them at our mercy, now go."

Lokteruost had never seen a dark elf. He was surprised at the reaction his body made at first sight of them. An infantile voice from deep inside him started to enter his mind, and he began to sweat. He instantly pushed aside his nerves and unleashed his small spells to allow the more seasoned warriors time to act. He only entered the fray once his spells were in place.

Enlightenment sang as it cut down many dark elves. The dark elf warriors started to run from him, at the sight of that sword. The sword seem to cause these dark elves great pain whenever it slightly nicked them. Lokteruost was certain that they would gain the upper hand in no time.

A feminine scream echoed from his left and Lokteruost looked to see Luinil in a fierce battle with a dark elf soldier. It was not Luinil's voice but the dark elf that was screaming.

Afraid that it might be some sort of spell, Lokteruost rushed to aid his sister.

The dark female warrior was fierce. She was shouting out the name of Ghaunadaur.

Lokteruost slashed at the female warrior's head. It did not slice it away, but merely split the helmet the dark female was wearing. Her red-eyed gaze met Lokteruost's eyes, and he began to shake.

"Lokteruost, what are you doing? Finish her off!" Luinil shouted.

Lokteruost did not hear her, for the infant voice inside his head had come crashing forward into his mind and his adult voice mirrored what the infant voice was saying.

"Dark aunt, where are you taking me? Mother! Father! Help me! No dark aunt! I want to go home!" he spouted as the wails of a small toddler echoed through his head.

As he spoke, his sword seemed to take on a life of its own. He slashed several dark elves that snuck up to flank him. It was a trap. These dark elves had led the warriors into a trap. They were surrounded.

Before he even realized he was uttering a word, Lokteruost's own voice shouted," Father! Help me! Father, I am here! Help me!"

"Lokteruost! What are you screaming about?" Luinil started, but her words were silenced by a bright shaft of light that surrounded Lokteruost.

"I am here!" A melodic, but forceful voice came from the light. A tall figure slowly formed in front of Lokteruost. The figure was dressed in armor and carried a sword that had starlight dancing through it.

"Corellon Larethian!" Luinil whispered in awe.

"This is a ruse," Corellon said flatly to Luinil, "The dark elves have already entered Tieratarengir and are trying to raze it to the ground as we speak. Get back to the city. Lokteruost and I can handle the rest of these. Afterwards, I must speak to him, alone"

Luinil did as her god bade and quickly rallied the troops back to the city.

Just the sight of Corellon made most of the dark elves run. With a wave of the god's hand, the rest that remained to fight were struck dead.

When he was certain Lokteruost was safe, Corellon embraced him and wept.

"I have searched far and wide for you for these long two hundred years since you were stolen, Lokteruost."

"My lord, I do not understand. Why would you search for me?"

"Because you are my son. You are my firstborn, and of most cherished."

"But how can I be your son? I am a mortal."

"It was not always thus. You were born on Arvandor, then stolen by one who was my consort, and made mortal by her jealous magic."

"I was born on Arvandor? That can not be, can it? I must be too young?" Lokteruost asked in shock as he sat on a nearby stump. Corellon sat next to him and looked into Lokteruost's eyes. Reflected in Corellon's eyes was a very pale female elf with very dark hair, and eyes the same color as Lokteruost's.

"Who is reflected in your eyes, Father?"

"She was your mother. Your mother's twin was jealous of her." he said as another image came into his eye's reflection. This figure was nearly the mirror opposite of the first.

"The dark one, is that my mother's sister?"

"Yes. She never understood that I loved her and your mother equally. They were two sides of the same coin, and I loved them as if they were one. They had the capacity to merge into one, much more powerful goddess, but it never happened. Your aunt's jealousy and pride got in the way."

"Is my mother with you now?"

Tears began to flow down Corellon's cheeks and he put his head in his hands.

"No, your mother is dead, and I am to blame."

Lokteruost looked at Corellon in disbelief," You killed my mother?"

"No, but if I had not been so full of foolish pride, She would yet live. When you were taken, she found where you were, but because of your destiny, she refused to allow me to see. She was so kind and gentle, she could not bear the slightest bit of scorn, especially from me. She relinquished her godhood and took her own life."

"Father, what was her name, so I may mourn her."

"She was called Kalyaluhta."

"That is the name of my sword, in the old tongue."

"You must never speak your mother's name, it has been forbidden. Yet, her sacrifice of her own life was not in vain. She gave her godly power to her three dearest friends. Because of that, my life was saved."

"You are speaking of Angharradh, aren't you, Father."

"Yes, the power to merge came from your mother. My time here is short, I must return."

"Can't I come with you?"

"Not yet, but I will embrace you one more time. Your half sister will help you when you need her. She is called Eilliastrae. As for the one you call sister, you are of no close relation to her. You may marry her any time you wish."

"Thank you, Father."

"Now go, that city, and this entire land is in need of a champion. Your mother told me you were a gift to my mortal children, a champion. I did not believe her then, but I do now. Your nightmares should go away as well," Corellon said as he slowly faded.

Lokteruost sped back to Tieratarengir with enlightenment in his hand and a renewed faith in his heart. He would earn his way back into the halls of his father.

Notes:

Ilytheri- the old name for the Drow, before Lloth conquered the demon web pits to become a goddess again.

Corellon Larethian- Father god of all of the elves

Angharradh- the triune goddess, queen goddess of the elves

Eilliastrae- Daughter of Corellon by Araushnee(Lloth), Good Drow goddess of hunters, moonlight, beauty, dance, and Drow who choose to live on the surface.

Kalyaluhta- Elven goddess of Strategy, perception, perspective and pregognition. Was tricked by Lloth into committing suicide. She gave her goddess powers to Angharradh.

***Dedicated to my grandfather, who died of Alzheimers, and my son, Daniel, who died of medical complications due to a severe brain injury.****