(TA DA! It took me waaay to long to write this...but it was worth it! One more chapter to go, then I'm writing the sequel...maybe 2 sequels...anyway...a new character is introduced which I know is way random but he'll be in the next two stories. Please R/R and don't yell at me for taking so long to write)

A single paladin came stumbling into Crushbone. His shoulder bled profusely, staining his mail. His sword was held in his off hand since he could hardly move his right arm. He heard, rather than saw, the elves around him, blood stinging his eyes.
"Papa?" called a half-elf from behind him, "Papa, you need to see a cleric."
"I'm fine, Sori, I'm fine."
She bit her lip and gave up; there was no arguing with her Papa. Stormsiege continued walking, leaving his daughter hoping the cleric would be here soon.

Mikanna ran along the paths through the forest, doing her best to keep from being seen by the tier'dal who were wandering about. Rravenn had simply clung to the back of their lines, faking loyalty. Rianum walked along beside her under his own spell of invisibility.
"Rravenn?"
"Yes?"
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Rianum! Don't question me now! We've made it this far…I know what I have to do if I'll ever be allowed to study again…and I'm never going back."
Rianum smiled and brushed his fingers across her cheek.
"Alright, but be careful, my little black bird."
"You do the same, Rianum. If you get yourself killed, I will find a way to resurrect you, just to kill you."
Rianum laughed and stepped away from the lines with a last brush of his hand against hers.
"I'll be in the elven city, come for me when you're done."

Larah felt around her mind. Please, she thought, please let me have mana, just a little. Finally, she felt it, the tiniest twinge of mana deep in her mind. She forced it forth, her mind reeling, her world spinning.
"Tunare….please…"
She forced the mana in its raw form into Klarias and his wounds began to heal over. He opened his eyes slowly and glanced around. His eyes caught a shadow looming over his love. The blurred form slowly came into focus, an iksar. The iksar kicked Larah's limp form and laughed. Tears burned in Klarias' eyes, she couldn't be dead! She couldn't be! That damned scalie! Klarias fumed, I ain't about to let 'im get away with this, Larah! I ain't! The necromancer turned on his heels and sauntered out of the room with the air of an undefeatable conqueror. Klarias waited until he couldn't hear anymore footsteps and then lifted the young druidess into his arms. He sat her up in a corner and began pulling his armor on.
"I swear it, Larah, I'll get that scalie 'n make 'im pay for what 'e's done to ya!"

Stormsiege leaned on his daughter, struggling to focus enough to heal himself slightly.
"Papa, I think you should see a cleric. The enemy general lives still, and since I know you will engage him in combat, it wouldn't do for you to collapse before you find him."
"Soriana, I know my own-" he tried to stand under his own strength and cringed in pain, blood coming out of the gaps in his armor.
"Papa! Papa, you need a cleric!"
"I'm fine!" The young bard sighed and grabbed her father's arm and led him towards the citadel. "Sori, I need you to go inside, invisibly mind you, and find Larah and Klarias. I think I have enough mana left to help them but I'm not sure. I'll stay here and wait for you."
"Yes, Papa." She pulled a flute out of her belt, piped a quick tune and faded from sight.

"Foolssss, foolsss, all of them!" Nirokusan laughed evilly, watching over his minions as they lit fire to the wood elven homes high in the treetops. "Let the foolssss burn!"
His laugh floated over the treetops to where Master Ailur stood leaning on his staff shaking his head.
"All the young elves lost to one mad iksar…Tunare preserve us…Quickly now! Each druid take as many as you can!"
"Master Druid!" A human voice fell on Ailur's ears. "Is there anyway I can help?"
Ailur turned quickly and regarded the young human with interest, he wore a dark purple robe that swirled around him as he walked and in his hands he grasped a staff tipped with a purple gem. In Ailur's magic sight he could see the mana swirling within him.
"You are a wizard, are you not, human?"
"Yessir, I am."
"Can you translocate my people?"
"Where?"
"Anywhere safe."
"Of course, Master Druid, is the Nexus good?"
"Marvelous, take the young ones first."
Master Ailur motioned to a frightened group of sylvan children huddled in a mass of tears, shrieks and cries for their mothers. Rianum nodded and drew a circle around them with his staff.
"Just stay in the circle and you'll all be alright. I'll start the spell in a moment, little ones." He sat cross-legged across from them and closed his eyes, balancing his staff across his knees counting to himself, "…five…six…seven…release…NEXUS!"
In a blaze of color, light and sound the children disappeared across the void from the inferno. Rianum coughed as smoke entered his lungs and leaned on his staff to stand again.

Mikanna looked up suddenly, what was the light ahead? Could it be dawn? No, the moon was still high in the night sky. It was a fire, a towering inferno even, but what was burning? The smoke billowed throughout the entire forest and flames leapt to other trees. It was Kelethin! Kelethin was in flames.
"No!" the high elf ran faster, tripping over roots and fallen logs in her furious sprint for the city. "No! No! Larah! Klarias! Ailur! No!"
The smoke blinded her as she ran past the city and up into the hills behind it to the orc city.
"Mikanna! Mikanna!" It was the dark elf from earlier, Rravenn. "Mikanna, they need you in the orc citadel, something horrible happened, you have to go quickly."
Tears shone in the young mage's eyes and the blaze reflected off their purple.
"Is Rianum in the city?"
Rravenne bit her lip and then nodded.
"I'm going after him, you go help the high elves, they need you."

Ahloru hefted her axe and spun it in her right hand. Why were there so many tier'dal about? This was sylvan land, wasn't it?
"What's a lass gotta do to get you li'l elf folk to be leavin' her alone?"
The rogue smiled mischievously and darted in at Ahloru suddenly. The berserker slashed through with her battle axe and chopped the little elf in half. His corpse spewed blood and splattered Ahloru across the face with a crimson spray as it fell but the barbarian felt nothing. Her emotions were sealed off as her fighter's fury kicked in. A blur of blade, armor and muscle roared through the Greater Faydark, cutting down all those that stood in her way. A scream broke the rage suddenly, a female scream that Ahloru had heard before, the elf Mikanna. She was just ahead, surrounded on all sides by dark elves. In her small hands she held a mace but the look in her eyes said she didn't know how to use it.
"Hold on, li'l friend! I'm a-comin'!"
Mikanna looked up, her eyes brightening suddenly.
"Thank Tunare!"
Ahloru grinned right before battle fury gripped her anew.
"Find your friends, li'l elf, I'll handle this lot o' trouble makers!"
"Klarias!" Soriana dropped her spell suddenly, "Klarias, you're alright! Where's Larah?"
Klarias looked at the young half elf, pain and sadness shining in his eyes. He motioned towards the corner she sat in, not speaking for fear of his voice betraying his emotions. He turned towards the door and then spoke softly.
"Take 'er to them 'ealers for meh, I 'ave to find 'im what done this."
"Of course," Sori gently lifted Larah into her arms and started towards the door, "Be careful, Klarias, if anything happens to you, Larah'll kill us all."
Klarias smiled weakly and then leapt from the window, landing below with both daggers drawn. Soriana ran for the door as fast as she could safely, shouting for her father.
"Papa! Papa! Larah needs help! I think its poison!"
Stormsiege stood carefully, leaning on his sword.
"Bring her here, Sori, let me have a….Heretic poisons…TUNARE! I invoke your power!" he faltered slightly as he went to step, but the spell was cast.
Larah coughed and choked as she started to breathe again.
"Kl-Klarias! Klarias, where are you?"
"It's alright, Lady Larah," said Soriana, helping the druidess to her feet, "Your little rogue is around here somewhere trying to avenge your wounds."
Larah smiled and closed her eyes.
"I'll help the clerics, soon as I have mana again." She grimaced as the realization she had expended all her mana sunk in.
The paladin stood slowly, hefted his mighty blade and began walking towards something. Soriana looked, drawing her own twin blades and saw the silhouette of the iksar before them. His scaled tail flicked back and forth and his eyes glinted with the same glee as a cat playing with the mouse before he killed it.
"Sssso, thissss issss the mighty Sssstormssssiege of Felwithe. You look like you've sssseen better daysss, my ssssylvan adversssary."
"Yield, necromancer, before I'm forced to enter in combat with you."
"Yield! To you! I think not, elf! Cazzzic Thule! Allow me to sssmite thissss fool who deniesss the might of your black deedsss!"
The great Lord Protector charged forward, his wounds and pain forgotten in his fury. His blade bite into the iksar but missed his lethal mark. He pushed forward with all his weight struggling to remain upright as the wounds reminded him they were still there and the blade slide from his grasp. He fell to the ground, his face in the dirt. The necromancer pulled the paladin's blade out of his side and flipped it around in his hand gleefully.
"Thissss issss the end, elf."
With a single thrust, the blade bit through Stormsiege's armor and down through his flesh with the ease of cutting water. Only the rim-guard stopped the blade's entrance into the elf, catching on the back plate of the paladin's armor. He strained to force breath in and Nirokusan stepped down firmly on his back, snapping his spine and forcing the life giving air back out. The air was mixed with elven blood as it splattered to the ground.
"Papa! No!"
Soriana flipped her two swords up and charged at the iksar that had slain the only family she had ever known.

"M'Lord Sir Paladin, I beseech you, take my daughter. The tier'dal whom you battled here slew my husband and the selfsame poison that took his life now flows in my veins."
In the elven woman's arms she held an infant. As she reached out to hand the girl to Stormsiege, she stumbled. The Lord Protector caught the young child just in time to hear the mother's dying words.
"Her name is Soriana….may Tunare guide both of you…."
The infant half-elf smiled up at Stormsiege, not knowing to cry, not knowing that she had lost one family only to gain another.

"Papa!"
Mikanna knew that voice as well as she knew her own, it was Storm's daughter. Had something happened to the Lord Protector? Mikanna burst into the battle suddenly and the scene shook her to her core. Stormsiege lay lifeless in a pool of his own blood, Soriana fought for her life with the iksar that had no doubt slain her father, Larah of Cloudwhisper knelt by the wall, trying to gather mana but failing. Fingering the silk pouch tied to her belt, the young cleric bit her lip. She would have to do something drastic. As she pulled forth the radiant dagger and held it level with her heart, she spoke softly.
"Tunare, I offer myself to you on the blade, Tunare's Gift, so that the Faydark may have its Protector again, the need for him out weighs the need for me. By your power, let him live again."
Tears fell from her cheeks as she thrust the ornate dagger through her chest and straight into her heart. Blood seeped slowly out of the wound and stained her shirt as she fell forward, first to her knees and then face first in the dirt, driving the blade in further. Her tears mingled with her blood, sealing the magic. Stormsiege's broken and beaten body glowed for a moment, the sword in his back floated up and out until it was at eye level for a high elf and then he stood, his eyes full of fire.

Soriana danced on her tip-toes, trying to dodge each blow as it came. A spell hit her left arm and the black sword she held fell to the ground. She bit the inside of her mouth to keep her fury inside her. Blood poured down her arm in rivulets. She stumbled as another spell caught her leg and fell to her back with a thud. She stared up into the blazing eyes of the iksar and saw no remorse, no mercy, no compassion, only hatred. Tears poured down her cheeks as she prepared herself to meet Tunare and see her father again when someone suddenly got between her and the iksar. The elf's armor shined radiantly seemingly giving off a light of its own and his sword was glowing the same.
"P-Papa?"
"Soriana, help the others. I'll handle this necromancer."
Soriana scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could and ran over to the others. Her eyes widened in fear and wonder as the battle around them stopped and everyone turned to watch Nirokusan and Stormsiege battle to the death.
"Ssso, paladin, death meansss asss much to you asss it doesss to me. Thisss ssshould prove entertaining."
"I have no words for you, necromancer, my sword has words enough for you!"
Stormsiege thrust forward in a feint and then slashed at the iksar's tail as he dodged the first move. The end of his tail fell to the ground, leaving the rest of the tail spurting forth blood in a torrent. Nirokusan snarled in pain and whipped around, a poison bolt leading. The Lord Protector dodged it with ease and slash again, slicing through the heretic's robes and slashing through the scales of his chest. Again, he snarled ferociously and then stopped suddenly, both claws behind him.
"I concede the victory to you, paladin, thisss time. But next time, I sssshall be the victor."
A gate appeared behind him and he stepped in. Stormsiege slash at it wildly as it closed. He threw his blade to the ground and tore at the air where the gate had been, his hatred for the iksar coursing through his veins until he heard a soft voice behind him.
"He's gone, Papa, he's not coming back anytime soon. We have to rebuild now anyway."
"Soriana…"
Larah focused a scrap of mana into a healing spell and Soriana's wounds healed slightly and then a gruff voice came from behind them.
"Ye li'l elves should get to yer city. And…by the Seventh Hammer….is that…my li'l elf friend? Mikanna? What happened to her?"
Stormsiege bent down beside the young cleric.
"She cast the final spell…the resurrection spell. She…sacrificed herself."
Tears were coming to his eyes as he lifted her limp body into his arms and they walked off towards Kelethin, leaving behind the place that had been the scene of so much carnage, only to enter another.

"Rianum! Rianum, where are you?"
Rravenn allowed her eyes to shift into the heat viewing spectrum hoping she'd be able to locate her human love easier that way but instead felt searing pain as the intense heat of the fire around her threatened to burn out her eyes. She heard someone coughing nearby and bent down under the smoke. Crouching near the center of the platform was Rianum. He looked up at her and smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry, Rravenn. I know I promised to be careful…." A spasm of coughing racked his body and he started to fall only to be caught in her embrace. "I had to help…I ran out…of mana…"
"Come on, we have to get out of here."
"But…the Master Druid…he didn't leave yet…"
"He's probably gated by now, Rianum."
"He….kept teleporting in and out taking elves with him…I think he's looking for someone…"
Rravenn gritted her teeth and half wished she could've just been like the rest of her people and been emotionless. She grabbed him under the arms and helped him to his feet.
"I'll look for him, you go, the lift is that way. Be careful, stay low and…" she put a hand to his chest and cast a quick spell, "now you should be able to breathe through the smoke, my dear human."
She ran her fingers through his short, black hair, kissed his cheek and then ran off into the blaze.

Ailur covered his mouth and nose with his hand, trying to keep the smoke out of his lungs just long enough to make sure that everyone was out of the city. He saw House Cloudwhisper just ahead of him. The doors were open and the main part of the house hadn't caught yet, only the back rooms. He could hear a sound coming from within and was startled, Larah was down at the battle fields, who could be inside? Larah was the only Cloudwhisper left…unless. He ran in and found an infant elf in his cradle, his watcher a she-wolf.
"Elfling, you'd best come with me," he lifted the child into his arms and smiled despite the situation, how had Larah managed to have a child without him knowing? It had to be hers, the eyes were the very same and everything else about him screamed of Klarias. "And you too, she-wolf."
The wolf stared at him for a moment and then ran ahead into the smoke. Around the corner came a dark figure clothed in mage's robes. Her eyes glowed in the fire light as she looked around, intent on finding something.
"Master Druid?"
"Stand off, black elf, I've no time to face you."
"You don't understand-"
"There is nothing to understand!"
Rravenn cursed under her breathe and then summoned a spell of levitation under the druid.
"It's the fastest way out of the city, or so I've been told. And for future reference, Master Druid, don't be so quick to judge based on skin. The wizard you met, Rianum, is my dearest friend and sent me to aid you."
Ailur shook his head in disbelief.
"And here I thought I'd heard all there was to hear of your kind." He bit his lip and felt around for his mana, only a twinge but it was enough, "Take this elfling, his mother is, I believe, Larah of Cloudwhisper. If you can find her, give him to her. I have to continue my search." He thrust the child into her arms and she stood there for a moment, stunned.
"Your view of me changed that quickly?"
"Not entirely, this one," he motioned towards the she-wolf "didn't attack you, that was proof enough for me. Your words told me nothing. Now go!"
"Be safe, Master Druid."
Before the words had even escaped her lips, Ailur had charged into the flames of his dying city. The mage looked down at the infant in her arms and screamed out a stream of curses.

"No….No…..It can't be….." Larah ran towards the burning lift, trying to vain to call enough rain to put out the flames, knowing she had no mana left, "I thought he would be safe! No!"
She fell to her knees and began to sob violently. Klarias dropped to his knees beside her, holding her tightly.
"S'a'right, Larah, I'm sure everyfolk got out a'right."
"Klarias, what about…Willias?" Tears shone in her eyes as she spoke, "No one save us knew he was there!"
"I'm sure someone…..someone musta found him, Larah, someone musta checked…"
Tears began to fall from his eyes as well and he pulled her closer. Suddenly, a form came down the burning lift, her arms outspread supporting a sphere of air that held the flames at bay, beside her stood a human man holding something in his arms. Larah stared in wonder as they passed unharmed through the flames led on by a she-wolf.
"It can't…it can't…..my…my baby…."
She carefully got to her feet, using Klarias for support. The figure walked closer, dropping her sphere as soon as they had cleared the flames, her features now beginning to show. Her hair was pure white and her skin dark as the night, she was a dark elf. The human at her side looked at Larah with a flicker of hope in his eyes and then glanced at the bundle in his arms.
"By chance, are you Larah of Cloudwhisper?"
"Y-yes…"
The word barely passed her lips.

Rianum smiled and handed the wriggling infant to his mother. She was crying as she held the little elf-child against her chest. He help but think how nice it was to see at least some happiness a midst all this desolation. He brushed Rravenn's hand with his own and then clenched it tightly.
"Now what?" his voice was barely a whisper but he repeated his query louder, "Now what?"
"We should," the Lord Protector's voice cracked as he tried to speak, his tears belying his outwardly calm demeanor, "We should give her…a proper funeral."
Soriana looked up at her father and saw something in him she'd never seen before, he sought revenge.
"Papa?"
"To Felwithe, then…Come along, Soriana."
Soriana stood rooted on the spot for a moment, staring at the setting moon and turned to see its brother, the rising sun, as its rays illuminated the smoldering ruins of the once proud elven city. With a sigh, she ran to catch up with the great paladin.
"I'm coming, Papa."