The Dark Phoenix

by Angelus Titanus

After his defeat at the hands of Tyrion and Teclis at the Finuval Plain, Malekith banishes himself into the Realm of Chaos to escape the Flames of Asuryan. Crippled and dying, he is saved by an unknown entity. She returns Malekith to the mortal realm with no memory of his past or identity. Washing ashore in Bretonnia, he is discovered by local humans. Anti-hero Malekith fic

3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

As he ran closer back towards Seafield, Malekith immediately began to realize how moronic this idea actually was. He had no weapon, no back up, and no idea how to actually use his magic effectively. That in addition to his reckless idea that he could stop a beastman horde practically spelled disaster. What was he even going to do? Warn the villagers? Find a weapon and fight? Was some divine intervention going to happen? The more he thought about it, the dumber his decision seemed to be. As if this entire dilemma had been preordained by the gods, he actually saw a sword abandoned on the path as he charged down the trail. It was sticking in the ground right in front of him and glowing in a faint hue of bluish-white.

Coming to an abrupt halt, he looked down at the sword disbelievingly as he picked it up. The blade was an impressive spellsword that was clearly elven in design with a mixture of gold, silver, and black. Malekith recognized this as the sword he carried from his memories. Clutching the hilt with fury he growled loudly, "Is this some kind of joke to you, Lake Lady?! I don't like being led around like some puppet! Explain what the meaning of this is!?"

Unsurprisingly, there was no response. He looked at the sword for a short moment of silence as he felt a strange bit of nostalgia wash over him upon seeing it. Malekith had no idea what it was doing here, but he knew this was his sword. As if getting the Amulet of Sunfire from the Lady of the Lake wasn't strange enough, he felt uncomfortable that she had his sword too. It implied that she was intentionally guiding him along and he did not like being controlled in such a way by a mysterious entity.

"I suppose I have no choice…I'm already committed to this. Damn you Lake Lady. I won't be your pawn. What is it that you want from me exactly? I need the truth if I'm about to risk my life for some peasants that hate me," Malekith growled in frustration.

To his disbelief, her voice finally spoke to him. He could practically hear it whisper into his ear from the wind. Malekith had no idea if this was natural wind or the winds of magic, but he wasn't in the right state of mind to know what his actual insight truly was. What he found strange about the situation was the Amulet of Sunfire glowed upon hearing her words.

"The sword in your hand is called Avanuir. You lost it a long time ago at the Battle of Maledor, and I thought it fitting you get it back. The sword is unique in that it can channel Qhaysh and Dhar. I would have given you the sword even if you went the other way. Avanuir belongs to you, and it will keep you safe. It isn't my intention to manipulate you…but there are things you are better off not knowing for the time being. Your fate and your future is entirely up to you now, Malekith. While you're hardly what I would call benevolent, I know that you want to do the right thing. This is your second chance. I have faith that whatever you choose to do will be for the betterment of this world…even if others disagree. Asuryan would not have blessed you otherwise. Perhaps he sees some of Aenarion in you after all," the Lady's voice whispered through the wind.

"And what would YOU know about Asuryan, spirit?! Just so we're clear, I'm NOT doing this for you or those stupid peasants. You will not strongarm me into some quest to do your bidding," he growled.

"Then why are you doing it?" she asked.

He grimaced in shame as he looked down, "I'm not a coward…I'm not the heartless despot the nobles think I am. I don't care about those peasants, but I'm not going to run away. My father wouldn't…any true warrior would fight."

The Lady's voice responded softly in response, "Good deeds are not meant to reap praise or affection. However, they are good for the soul and especially one that needs healing. Do it for yourself if nothing else. I'm not here to sway your decisions, but I will gladly help you along on your journey...wherever it takes you. It seems only appropriate I give you your armour as well, Malekith…the runes of the Mandala on it are aligned to your beliefs. Trust in your gods and perhaps they will help you as well. Some already have."

"What?" he looked around in confusion until he saw pieces of elven armour materialize in front of him out of thin air. They included a cuirass, greaves, boots, gauntlets, and other relevant plate mail. Upon appearing, they magically equipped themselves to the elven prince much to his shock. In mere seconds he was fully armoured. He blinked several times in sheer disbelief and it was at this moment that he actually started to believe this 'Lady of the Lake' might have actually been a god.

The armour itself was mostly silver and gold with interesting arrangements of runic symbols. Malekith instinctively realized it was remarkably similar to the armour he wore in his memories when returning to Evershale. Strangely however, it was missing the Nagarythe and Tor Anlec emblems on it. In place of iconography or decorations of rank and prestige, the armour had various runes covering the front of the cuirass. Looking down at them, Malekith recognized all of these runes, surprisingly. This was a good sign as it implied he instinctually remembered more than he thought he did.

The runes on the armour were represented in uniquely contrasting ways as the chest had the entire Pantheonic Mandala of the elven gods shown in its typical circular fashion over the cuirass. As he looked it over, he recalled his knowledge on the elven pantheon.

The Mandala consisted of the runes of the 22 main gods of the elves with 14 in the outer ring, 7 in the inner, and a large one in the center. What he found bizarre about it was the Mandala did not look like one he had ever seen. Asuryan's Rune was the largest one in the middle, but that's where it stopped looking normal. The inner ring around it was comprised of questionable Cadai and Cytharai deities mixed in improper, almost contradicting order. Specifically in descending order after Asuryan, they were Khaine, Lileath, Hekarti, Vaul, Hoeth, Drakira, and Mathlann. The Outer ring was followed by Isha, Kurnous, Loec, Anath Raema, Eldrazor, Morai-Hegg, Atharti, and so on so forth. Typically the order implied the god's significance to the particular part of elven society and the mystical connection said people had to that god's aspects culturally. It showed the values and beliefs that people strived to emulate. While they varied somewhat in different parts of Ulthuan, the mainstream ones mostly looked the same with Asuryan, Vaul, Isha, and Kurnous being the premiere four. Cadai were universally in the inner ring around Asuryan as these gods were always associated with positive things. He had never seen any Cytharai gods in the inner ring of any Mandala except for Mathlann. The fact that he had 4 in his ranked this highly was disturbing. Cytharai were not necessarily seen as evil by elves, but they weren't worshipped or venerated the same way...they were often simply acknowledged or quietly respected for their darker aspects. Ereth Khial the death goddess was the best example. No sane person would worship death over something like fertility or craftsmanship.

If this bizarre pantheonic mandala was aligned to his personal beliefs then it meant he was utterly insane. Other than his mother, he couldn't think of anyone from Ulthuan that valued a Cytharai God more than the mainstream gods…maybe besides Mathlann down in Eataine. Sure there were odd cults here and there, but Malekith had nothing to do with them. Plus it seemed completely impossible for one to value Lileath and Khaine in such proximity as they were polar opposite deities in every way possible. Lileath was merciful and Khaine was cruel and violent. Malekith couldn't understand why Khaine was ranked so high since he vividly remembered being dismissive of the God thanks to seeing what the Widowmaker did to his father's sanity. Plus there was a bad stigma with people who openly venerated Khaine…they were seen as psychopaths in the wider part of Ulthuan. No normal person worshipped murder and war.

As if that wasn't concerning enough, the Mandala only got stranger. Nethu, Gatekeeper of the Underworld was 21st and Ereth Khial was the 22nd…last of the outer ring. Having the Goddess of the Underworld and death as one's least aligned or relevant god could mean any number of things. While she wasn't openly worshipped or venerated in Ulthuan, she was respected for her important role to the elves. Most Mandalas in Ulthuan had her ranked somewhere in the middle. Malekith knew that his people in Nagarythe paid silent homage to the Pale Queen in case their souls were lost to daemons. Blatantly having no acknowledgement or respect for her in this personalized Mandala implied that Malekith himself might have believed he couldn't die or that he was immortal and invincible. It also seemed like an ill omen to tempt fate by brazenly disrespecting the elven goddess of death. He could only imagine what other elves would think about it. If they realized this Mandala was aligned with his beliefs in relation to the pantheon, then they would assume he's a delusional madman. That in addition to the blatant showcasing of Khaine, Hekarti, and Drakira in the inner ring would certainly add to this assumption. The strangest part of all was how far apart Hekarti and Atharti were. For some reason, the prince could remember somewhere in his fragmented mind that it wasn't wise to favor one sister over the other so brazenly. He could almost hear his mother's words warning him about it, but he couldn't visualize his mother's face for some reason. Hell, he still couldn't even remember her name.

"What in the world is this Mandala?! You say this is aligned to my personal beliefs?! That's impossible! No sane elf would have all of these Cytharai gods in the inner ring…or have Lileath and Khaine ranked next to each other. Plus why would Ereth Khial be 22nd? People will think I'm insane if they see this on my armour," Malekith rejected the idea.

"Those are the gods you are most aligned with…I've seen it in your heart," the Lady of the Lake stated nonchalantly.

"I don't pray to Khaine…or Hekarti! I don't pray to Lileath either! Plus why would I worship Drakira unless I was obsessed about getting revenge or something? This is outrageous and false. You know nothing of the elven gods!" he dismissed her remark.

She sighed in response, "Your mother prays to Khaine and Hekarti…and she passed her teachings on to you. The Dhar you wield comes from the Tome of Hekarti, and your past is one of violence and blood. Whether you acknowledge Khaine or not, your deeds were aligned to his and he is well aware of who you are."

"What are you saying?! That I'm evil or something?! Only lunatics would worship Khaine. I saw what Khaine's darkness did to my father. You're saying I'm like that too? That the Curse of Khaine defines me?!" he demanded.

"The truth is never simple, Malekith…nor is it always so black and white. Fortunately for you though, you can conceal the runes with Qhaysh," the Lady sighed causing the Mandala to glow briefly before fading off his armour and disappearing.

"Why put that on my armour at all?" he wondered.

"It is for you…a visual representation of your heart and faith. Check on it later and perhaps it will change. We've spoken enough for now…so go save the villagers or flee this area while you still can," her voice faded away leaving him stunned in his own thoughts.

'Well this is disturbing…but at least now I have a weapon and armour. I doubt it will make much of a difference, but the Lady of the Lake seemed confident that I wouldn't die from this. I swear I better not die for this ridiculous lapse in judgment. If those runes were my inner beliefs then I doubt my soul will be saved. For all I know I actually am crazy, and someone tried to dump me in the ocean. She said something about a second chance and me healing my soul? What could that possibly mean? At any rate, I'll definitely have to think of some way to explain this situation if these runes reappear in front of other elves. I am not a bad person…am I? Almost everyone in my memories seemed to think so, but Allisara and Prince Alluin didn't. How does this Lake Lady so much about me?! What is her goal in all of this? She knows a lot more about the elven gods then I expected. Was she right though? Did Asuryan actually bless me? Also what was the Battle of Maledor? She said I lost my sword there…I wonder if that has something to do with my loss of memories as well?' Malekith wondered as he charged further onward.

Seafield

The bell around the town was violently chiming back and forth as panicked peasants either fled the town for their lives on foot or searched for someplace to bunker down and hide. The inexperienced and somewhat incompetent town guard were forming up around their guard captain who looked utterly mortified by the situation.

In total there was only five dozen of them and quite a few were showing visible signs of fear as several were even shaking in terror at the monstrous cries sounding in the distance. The guard captain looked over the men with stern and solemn features. He gripped his spear tighter as he finally spoke, "We have to buy time for the villagers to escape."

"Captain we can't! We'll all be killed! What are we even doing waiting around here still?! We're no match for those monsters!" one man practically cried out.

His lack of resolve almost seemed contagious as nearly half the other guards also looked like they wanted to run.

"The women and children will never outrun this horde on foot. We need to protect our families, and someone has to get word to the Duke in Bordeleaux! The knights will surely come, but they must be warned." the captain reasoned.

"It was that damn knife-eared elf! I told you all he was a bad omen!" one the men announced.

The captain shook his head, "The elf's gone now and-"

"Philippe is right, captain! I'll bet that elf lured them here to kill us!" another man interrupted.

"Maybe they were after him?" another suggested.

"Enough! We need to stall that horde! The farmers on the outskirts of town won't ever make it in time if we don't! My wife and children are out there…" the captain announced almost angrily.

"How can we be so sure that they aren't dead already?" a gloomy guard interjected. He quickly received a disapproving glare from the captain in response.

Just then a scout of some kind came running up to the group. He had fresh wounds on his body, but somehow managed to make it there in spite of them. The man nearly collapsed to the ground before two other guards braced his fall.

"Captain…they're almost here!" the scout grunted in pain as he clutched the slash mark over his arm.

"How many did you see?!" the captain asked urgently.

"I don't know…a few hundred maybe? They were…taking the women," the scout said painfully as the fresh trauma of the event carried through his tone.

"What?!" the captain gawked.

"They were…gathering them, sir. I think they're going to rape them," the scout muttered in despair.

The captain gathered his courage up as he looked back over his men, "Move out men! We NEED to protect the women and children!"

"Captain, we'll be killed!" someone protested.

"Would you rather they rape your wives and slaughter your families?! Move out!" he reiterated.

Reluctantly the men followed their captain as they advanced towards the incoming horde's direction. Countless villagers were fleeing in the opposite direction which only seemed to rob the men of even more resolve.

It wasn't long before they caught up to an advance party of guards who were fighting beastmen. This vanguard of the hulking monsters were tough, but they were outnumbered and quickly brought down with the extra reinforcements. The advance party actually had the bailiff with them as well. The man was wearing crude leather and iron armour, but he was out there armed and ready to defend the village as well.

Seeing their bailiff on the frontline did wonders to calm the men down somewhat as they mopped up the twenty or so beastman. The guard captain was quick to run up to Bernard, "Bailiff, what are you doing out here?!"

"I gathered up all the able bodied men that could fight. The Blacksmith let them borrow weapons from his shop. We need to save as many people as we can," the Bailiff stated.

"Did your children make it out sir?" the captain asked.

The Bailiff looked away, "Emil did…but Michelle went chasing after that elf earlier. She's still outside of town. I need to rescue her!"

"You heard the bailiff men, advance!" the guard captain announced.

Malekith

It didn't take long for Malekith to reach the beastman horde. Despite wearing armour now, he found he had little to no difficulty running in it at full speed. No doubt it was due to elven armour not being as heavy, but he could tell that his body was extremely conditioned as it almost felt natural for him to be in armour. In fact he felt more comfortable in it.

He stopped briefly near a tree as he peered out over the situation further ahead. Doing a rough count, he estimated there was about two hundred or so beastmen in an advance raiding party. They were setting everything on fire and pillaging the land with beastly barbarism.

Gore decorated the once lush farms nearby as he saw dozens of dead farmers…mostly men and children. It was only then that he spotted several beastmen hauling away screaming women in a herd of some kind. Despite it looking somewhat organized an occasional beast would rip a woman away from the herd and worked at tearing her clothes off.

While he had no love or care for the lives of humans, he was not about to watch a monster desecrate women in such an unholy manner. Deciding it was now or never, the warrior charged in to the pack of beastmen that were rounding up the women.

He started with the one closest that already had an unfortunate peasant woman's clothes ripped off. The woman shrieked in horror as the beastman got erect and ready to rape her in the middle of the field.

"Lady, please save me!" the woman cried in desperation.

Her prayers were answered as Malekith moved with elf-like speed to brutally cut off the beastman's genitals. The monster let out a deafening howl of agony that was swiftly silenced by a followup decaptiation. Blood splattered all over the unfortunate woman and onto Malekith's armour.

The woman in question looked shocked beyond belief to see she had actually been saved, but Malekith paid her no mind as he moved on to kill the next beastman…and the next. It took next to no time at all for the nearby horde to become aware that a new threat had arrived.

Despite their great strength and animal-like ferocity, Malekith found it quite easy to slaughter the beasts one or even a few at a time as he cleaved his way through the battlefield with precision and alacrity. Nearly twenty were slain before he reached the main group of peasant women being herded away. The women appeared just as afraid of him as they were of the beastmen as Malekith sadistically killed the monsters one by one showering the fields and even some of the women in blood and gore.

He must have had a crazy look in his eyes as the women shrunk under his gaze and looked petrified with terror.

Shortly after 'saving' them, he saw an incoming pack of beastman in his vicinity grouping up a bit further away. The creatures snarled at him with violent bloodlust from afar, but they seemed hesitant about making any sudden moves. They certainly must have had some intelligence as the creatures knew he was dangerous.

Glancing briefly at the women again, Malekith spoke to them, "Run, humans…"

They didn't seem to have any objections as the women fled together in terror back in the direction of Seafield. None of them seemed grateful unsurprisingly, but Malekith was surprised to see that Michelle was actually in their ranks. She seemed confused but relieved at the sight of him.

"Malk, you came back? When did you get armour?!" the teenager said disbelievingly.

"Go, girl!" he said almost venomously.

Michelle was in no position to argue as two nearby women dragged her along and ran as fast as they could.

"Wait, Malk! What are you doing?! There's too many! You'll die!" she cried out as the group of women gained distance from the beastmen.

Several of the beasts tried to make intercepts, but Malekith bolted full speed to cut them off and cut them down. He slaughtered several more of the monsters before another massive howl sounded in the distance.

It was then that he noticed a lot more of them were converging around his location. They were quick to surround him in some kind of distant semicircle, but they didn't attack for a moment as a massive goat like man with a doubled headed axe and a whip came to the front.

He snarled and spoke crudely in feverish anger, "Kill the elf!"

Not a moment after he spoke, the creatures charged Malekith from all sides. It was in this moment that he was convinced he would probably die. However, time seemed to almost slow down as a strange epiphany came over Malekith.

He saw a vision of a past memory of his in which he was fighting beastmen. It came in strange flashes and seemed to be some type of subconscious realization. He couldn't make sense of where, when, or what this memory was about, but the knowledge of how to use a spell quickly filled his mind.

His left hand lit up with the darkened glow of Dhar as Malekith instinctively shot out a massive wall of razor sharp ice through the charging ranks. It impaled and violently murdered a huge chunk of the first wave and actually caused most of the others to stop their advance.

The ones that committed to the advance were soon met with blindingly fast dismemberment. Channeling even more Dhar now, Malekith sucked all of the water out of the air and the fields of wheat in his vicinity forming another much more violent explosion of jagged ice in all directions.

"Chillwind…" he said quietly to himself as he remembered the name of this spell. True to the effects of Dhar however, it left the drained fields blackened and barren. Even the air seemed drier now as nearby fires began to die down from a lack of oxygen.

Channeling the dhar over his sword now, he watched as it lit up in unnatural purple flames. He swung the blade in a powerful arc releasing the flames in a condensed wave of magic. It shot out with deadly power easily scorching an entire row of beastmen brave enough to come closer. The entire area began to light up in purple flames as he repeated this action multiple times.

However, as he killed more and more of the monsters, he began to feel an almost familiar hatred and pain burning within him. It felt like lava was in his veins. The pain made him angry, and the anger made him delirious. The delirium made him lose control. He wanted to butcher these creatures…he hated them and he wanted to see their guts covering the battlefield. He wanted to murder everything in sight with unfiltered fury with as much violence as possible.

Uncharacteristically, he completely lost his calm composure as he went on the offensive now and charged into the horde with no regard for his own life or safety. Shortly afterwards, his clarity dwindled even further as he blacked out entirely in a berserking rage. All he could see now was the previous memory of fighting beastmen coming back to him.

Malekith's memory

With the same armour and the same sword, Malekith fought on the frontline alongside an army of elves…his soldiers. They violently and horrifically slaughtered the beastmen as waves upon waves of spearmen with shields advanced with their prince to butcher the enemy army.

Malekith himself was in front of the shield wall and laughing maniacally as he moved like a whirlwind of steel through the enemy with unfiltered hatred, wrath, and madness. His men looked different than they did in his previous memories. They were wearing black, gold, and purple and seemed just as eagerly bloodthirsty as he was. While they were disciplined, they looked like they enjoyed this brutality.

Wave upon wave of bolts and arrows rained down over the enemy army as they hopelessly and desperately fought against the vastly superior elves. It was then that Malekith heard one of his nearby soldiers scream out, "Slaughter these animals for the glory of Khaine!"

The memory progressed briefly before the enemy army began to rout and flee as they tried to outrun incoming cavalry or the storm of arrows raining down overhead. Nearly all of them were felled with overwhelming force, but Malekith did see a chunk of them managing to escape.

"They flee, my Prince! They cannot stand against the might of Nagarythe!" one of the army officers spoke to Malekith.

The prince felt himself welling up with pure malice as he saw the monsters trying to flee. He began to gather up winds of magic overhead causing a swirling mass of purple energy to form in the sky. He brought it down as powerfully as he could igniting the land in the horizon with purple flames and blocking the beastmen from fleeing.

"There will be NO survivors!" Malekith announced as he followed up by casting a bladewind over the trapped beastmen. The winds began to pick up as a storm of swirling dark energy blades and even real blades lifted up around the battlefield tore through the poorly armoured beastmen like butter.

This spell brutally hacked apart most of them and caused the remaining survivors to risk running through the purple flames just to escape it.

"Archers, Fire!" Malekith announced as he simultaneously cast another spell.

He remembered this spell was a high magic or Qhaysh spell called the Curse of Arrow Attraction. The spell infused into the arrows of his archers as they magically found their targets vitals. Most exploded in flashes of blue and white magical energy finally killing all of the fleeing beasts.

The soldiers erupted into cheers of victory and many chanted Malekith's name, but that did little to sway his seething anger. Noticing a nearby beastman was still alive and dying in pain, Malekith walked over to it.

With his sword in hand he viciously hacked at the dying beast and kept doing so long after it was dead. His men's cheering and chanting was quick to die off as an eerie silence filled the battlefield. The only sounds that could be heard other than the fires burning in the distance was Malekith gruesomely hacking a corpse apart as he panted hatefully.

He didn't stop until one of the army's officers called out to him, "Prince Malekith! We won…"

Finally stopping, he looked up at his men. Malekith was covered in blood and many of his men looked noticeably intimidated as he walked over towards the officer.

"Yes…" he said a bit incoherently as if he just came out of a trance.

"Orders my prince?" the officer asked without daring to mention the incident to Malekith.

"Gather up the bodies and burn them…we'll celebrate tonight. Get me an estimate on our casualties and try to salvage any damaged wargear. Our march north continues in five days," he announced.

The men quickly went back to cheering and most looked relieved. The officer watched as the ranks broke and went about stripping the battlefield, helping wounded, and setting up camp. A few of the soldiers found survivors and cruelly tortured the beasts before killing them.

Against his better judgment, the previous officer spoke to Malekith quietly, "That crown you wear…it greatly enhances your magic, my prince. It was truly impressive."

"The Circlet of Iron…yes. It is a powerful artifact. It was worth the trip to frozen north," he nodded.

"Is it…affecting you at all? Mentally I mean?" the officer asked timidly.

Malekith sent him a sharp glare, "No…what makes you think that?!"

"N-nothing my lord. I just thought I'd ask. I'll get to work immediately on our casualty estimate," he immediately gave up on pushing the matter.

"You fought well today captain…I'll see to it that you get a promotion when we return to Ulthuan," Malekith lightened the mood as he changed the subject.

"It's an honour my prince. You are your father's son…and we gladly follow you," the captain said respectfully.

"More like my mother's son…" he muttered under his breath as he began to walk off and stare at the sheer destruction his magic had brought to the once beautiful field they were standing in. Despite his pride in destroying the army of monsters, he almost felt guilty at seeing what his magic had wrought upon this landscape. It would take many years for it to recover. Malekith stared down at his left hand and saw the blackened fingertips on it.

'It's taking longer and longer for it to go away. I think I'm becoming too reliant on Dhar,' he couldn't help but think as he gazed solemnly at his fingers.

"For what it's worth, I think you deserved to be the Phoenix King…you're nothing like that coward Bel Shanaar,. You truly are the champion of Ulthuan," the captain followed up.

Snapping his head back angrily, Malekith growled, "Do not speak ill of the Phoenix King! He served in the army and is no coward! I am sworn to follow him…as are you! Show the proper respect and never again speak of such things!"

"Y-yes sir…" the elven captain stuttered fearfully before leaving Malekith alone.

Present

Malekith came out of his blackout memory only to find himself surrounded by what must have been at least a hundred corpses. The battlefield was on fire, jagged ice was impaled in dead beastman everywhere, and he was covered head to toe in blood.

He looked down below him in horror as he saw the mutilated corpse of the beastman leader that was hacked into nothing but raw gore by this point. What he found strange about the burning fires across the farm was they were not all purple flames. Most were white flames.

Glancing around with urgency, he was quick to notice that the beastmen weren't all dead. Countless more were moving in to swarm him, but they seemed almost too afraid to get closer as several even stepped back when Malekith took a step their way. He could only imagine what they must have been thinking watching him hack the corpse of their leader apart like a madman. Just seeing the destruction he inflicted in his vision, he imagined he must have done something similar while blacked out.

'So I didn't become the Phoenix King? Wait…does that mean father is dead?! How else could someone besides him be the Phoenix King. No…he can't be dead. He can't!' Malekith felt a wave of emotions wash over him as he slumped to his knees emotionally distraught.

'Bel Shanaar…I think I remember him. The Prince of Tironoc…it's coming back to me. He's the Phoenix King!? What am I doing here?! Where are my men?! Damn it! Nothing makes any sense!' the elf was beginning to lose focus now. It was no doubt a combination of his weariness and the existential bad news.

He tried to snap out of it when he saw the beastmen were charging in to take advantage of his weakened state. His despair was quickly replaced with more fury as he forced himself to stand once more. Grief siphoned into rage as he felt painful emotions welling up within him.

The beastmen didn't seem to care as they took their chances and swarmed him once again. Many however, were stopped as pelts of arrows impaled the frontlines of the horde. Glancing back, Malekith saw the town guards of Seafield actually drawing the creatures off and trying to fight their way to him.

"By the Lady…Michelle was right…the elf is fighting them!" the bailiff said disbelievingly as he saw the carnage surrounding Malekith. If the peasants weren't scared of him before, they certainly would be now after seeing the sea of corpses and obvious magical destruction littering the field.

Looking away turned out to be a bad idea, as Malekith felt himself getting knocked down by a heavy maul from another large goat-like beastman. It quickly planted a foot on his chest to prevent Malekith from moving as it brought the maul overhead preparing to bring it down on his head.

Instincts took over again as Malekith managed to reach for a nearby shield and brace the massive hammer just in time. The attack was so heavy and forceful that the maul actually penetrated entirely through the shield. Fortunately, it was enough to stop the weapon from doing any damage to him.

Malekith seized the opportunity to cut the beast's leg off with his sword and roll back up to his feet. He followed up by impaling the monster in the mouth with Avanuir before violently ripping the sword out the side of its head. It cried pathetically as gurgling blood splattered onto his face. Malekith put aside his emotions as he tried to recollect himself. He would be in trouble if that happened again.

Despite the help of the newly arrived peasants, some were being brutally killed as the beastmen continued to battle on with desperation to win. The majority of those still alive seemed especially adamant about killing himthough. After felling a dozen or so more, Malekith felt his body betray him as he slumped to a knee again overcome with weariness. He must have still been recovering...or his body might have become taxed from overusing magic. Whatever the case was, the elf felt much weaker now.

'Get up Malekith…I'm stronger than this. In that memory, I killed hundreds with ease. Why am I struggling now? Is this how the son of Aenarion dies…to beastmen?! NO! I won't die in some peasant human village!'

Right as he managed to stand again, Malekith heard distant thuds fill his ears. This seemed to spook the beastman as well since they were now beginning to run away. The thuds were soon identified as a large group of mounted knights with lances. They made quick work of the surviving horde as the cavalry effectively flanked them. Malekith watched with shock as the knights of Bretonnia finished off the remaining beastman horde in record time. Those that escaped were chased after on horseback and likely didn't get far.

The elf looked around uncertainly as the knights formed back into ranks. Turning his focus briefly towards peasants, he could see them cheering in happiness and relief at the knight company that had just rescued them.

In mere seconds after the rescue however, knights ran over on horseback completely surrounding Malekith on all sides. All of them lowered their spears and lances down and pointed their weapons at him preventing the elf from moving. He stood there uncomfortably silent as he glanced around at the heavily armoured knights who seemed eager about the idea of killing him.

'What a waste…I didn't need to come down here after all. That damn Lake Lady set me up I'll bet. She probably knew these knights were coming. Ughhh, this is why I don't do favors for people I don't know!' Malekith thought to himself as he calmly looked around at the surrounding knights.

Finally, someone spoke…it was their leader presumably. The Knight rode up through a small hole in surrounding knights and took off their helmet.

The knight was a woman much to his surprise. He did not understand humans very well, but he knew it wasn't common for a woman to be a prestigious warrior among their kind. The woman had shoulder length black hair, piercing blue eyes, and was surprisingly pretty…for a human.

She spoke in the familiar and annoyingly thick Bretonnian accent as she looked down at him hostilely, "What business does an elf have in a place like this!? Speak!"

"Noble knights, I can explain the situation if you'll allow it," the Bailiff Bernard ran up and tried to intervene.

"I wasn't asking you, peasant! Get back!" she shot back angrily.

"Back you filthy peasants! Now!" Another knight aggressively shouted at the peasant guards causing them to immediately shuffle away like scared rabbits.

Malekith blinked several times deciding on what he should say. He would have to explain his presence and his situation, but he didn't want to tell them too much. Judging by the female knight's glare, he could tell that these Bretonnian Knights did not like elves at all.

"Do you want a detailed explanation or a summary?" Malekith asked.

"Just tell me enough to convince me that we shouldn't put you down right here and now! You had better have a good reason for being here!" she bellowed.

None of the peasants looked like they had the courage to speak up and he could tell they were afraid of being punished for even being associated with him.

"My name is…Malerion. I'm a highborn elf from Ulthuan. I washed ashore near this village a few days ago and some of the peasants saved me I suppose. I woke up earlier today with a lot of gaps in my memory, and I'm slowing regaining them. I spoke with the bailiff, and he suggested that I go to Bordeleaux to seek passage home or get a prophetess to try and fix my amnesia. I can't tell you much more beyond that about who I am because I don't remember everything. I chose to leave the village before this horde of Beastmen attacked. I went east for a while and up that hill on the horizon. There was a pond there at the top where I took a rest. A…spirit of some kind spoke to me at it. She looked human and called herself the Lady of the Lake. She asked me to help the villagers and warned me about this beastman horde attack. I wasn't going to listen to her, but she seemed to know who I was…she gave me my armour and my sword," Malekith decided to explain the entire situation with a few modified facts so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings.

"He's lying…elves are notorious for treachery. To even insinuate the Lady spoke to him. How dare you, elf!" one of the knights dismissed his story furiously.

"I don't expect you to believe me, but that's how I ended up here like this. Go ask the villagers if you want. They can confirm that I washed ashore half-dead in nothing but undergarments," Malekith shrugged.

The female knight narrowed her gaze at him doubtfully, "I don't believe you…but I'll humor your story for a moment. Why would the Lady speak to an elf?!"

"I've never even heard of this Lady until today. If it were my intention to deceive you, then why would I risk my life fighting beastmen to save a bunch of human peasants? Their lives don't mean anything to me. My being here was simply a repayment to your Lady for returning my sword and armour. She even said she saved me from drowning. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant now. I don't want anything from you…I don't want to be in Bretonnia. I just want to go home," Malekith responded sharply.

"He looks like a dark elf to me," one of the knights mentioned.

"All elves are the same…what's the difference?" another knight added.

To his surprise, the female knight shook her head, "He said he was from Ulthuan…he's a high elf. Or at least he claims to be a high elf. Still…It doesn't matter where you claim to be from, elf. Your kind are all the same. Lying, dishonourable, and deceptive. We saw what that battlefield looked like…you're a sorcerer! I don't trust sorcerers…be they humans or elves."

"Yes, I am a mage…though I've only recently remembered a few spells." he admitted.

"A few spells? You set half that field on fire and half of those beastmen are impaled with ice shards!" an overzealous knight evoked doubtfully.

The peasant guards in close enough proximity to overhear this conversation were mortified even more by the idea that an elven sorcerer had been in their village.

"So how do we know you didn't send these beasts here? Witches have a way of controlling monsters, do they not?" one of the knights demanded.

Malekith glared at the knight, "To what end? I'm only here to repay a debt to the villagers that saved my life and to your lady for giving me my armour and sword. I didn't even know you were coming here, or I wouldn't have bothered fighting these beasts at all. So if you're going to try and kill me then just do it already…I don't care about what you have to say. I have no interest in bringing discord to your lands or interacting with humans. My presence here is an unfortunate happenstance that I do not know the reasons for."

"If you're no threat to us then drop your sword, elf!" a knight bellowed condescendingly at him.

Malekith said nothing in response but stabbed his sword into the ground and slowly rose his hands to show that he wasn't going to attack.

The female knight stared him down intensely as the knights pushed their spears and lances slightly closer towards Malekith as if expecting some magical trickery to follow. She frowned before speaking, "If you truly saw the lady, then maybe you can describe her to me. I've seen her as well, so I'll know if you're lying!"

Malekith let out a heavy sigh, "I can describe what she looked like if you want. Her hair was a long silverish gold and she wore a white dress with gold trimmings over the middle. Her eyes were green, and she floated around me like some type of ethereal shimmering ghost. Her skin was pale and she…wore these flowers in her hair. She had an ornate tiara over her forehead, but the center of it had what looked like a crescent moon made of diamonds. Her voice was echoic…as if it was carried by the wind in some otherworldly way," he described the spirit to them.

The female knight went wide-eyed at his description, "That is how I remember her as well…maybe you are telling the truth. I wonder why would she choose to show herself to someone like you? Why would she ask you to save these peasants?"

"I don't know, but she seemed to know who I was despite my own lack of memories. I only remember bits and pieces of my past. She was the one who told me what my name was," Malekith followed up.

"Malerion…hmm?" the female knight seemed to be pondering on how to handle the situation.

"Who are you exactly?" Malekith decided to test his luck and ask.

She shot a look of intensity at him for brazenly asking for her name, but soon calmed herself. The knight then answered, "I am the Damoiselle de Guerre…Repanse de Lyonesse…Duchess of Lyonesse and Paladin of Bretonnia. Sworn champion of the Lady. These are my Chevaliers de Lyonesse."

'That's the last time I ask for someone's name in this country…I barely understood any of that,' Malekith thought to himself.

"The Repanse de Lyonesse?! Didn't she die centuries ago?" the nearby bailiff evoked disbelief as he came up to the group of knights.

Repanse glanced at him curiously, "I'm surprised a peasant would even know about me here."

"How could we not?! It is a great honour my lady…truly! I used to tell my daughter stories about you." the bailiff praised her with no shame.

"Stay back you filthy peasant!" one of the knights growled as Bernard tried to come closer.

Surprisingly, Repanse answered Bernard before looking over at Malekith, "My Lady brought me back…that is all I will tell you peasant. It is all any of you need to know."

"So she is a god then? She can bring back the dead?" Malekith asked genuinely curious now.

Repanse scoffed at him, "You looked upon her beauty and you doubted her divinity?!"

"I'm not familiar with human gods…though I certainly believe it now. She was...benevolent I suppose," Malekith noted.

"Hmph…alright then elf. Here's what going to happen. I'm going to interrogate the villagers and see what they have to say about you. Hand over your sword and submit to irons for the time being. Don't even try using any magic either or we'll kill you. Understand?" Repanse demanded seriously.

Malekith nodded as he slowly lifted his sword out of the ground and handed it to her, "Fine…but I want that sword back. I'll happily leave your lands. You're even welcome to escort me out of them if you think I'm a danger."

"Get him in irons. We'll figure out what to do with you soon, elf," Repanse announced before riding off towards Seafield.

Malekith sighed as he held his hands up and let the knights cuff him in shackles. He was then forced to walk behind a knight on horseback with his hands chained together.

'I should have just gone the other way. I knew helping these damn villagers was going to lead to nothing but trouble,' he thought annoyed as he swallowed his pride and went along with the ridiculous situation. He never would have agreed to this, but in his current weakened state, he wasn't confident he could escape or kill them. Cooperation was the best option…for now. Besides, even if they were humans…these knights were not nearly the undisciplined pushovers that beastmen were. He didn't want to fight them unless he had to.

Along the walk, he felt his mind drifting back to the memory of Evershale. He focused hard on it as he wondered what ever became of Allisara. It wasn't long before the memory picked up right where it left off.

Malekith's Memory

Making his way downstairs in the inn, the prince let out a sigh as he passed through the main room. To his utter disdain, Arryn was there and appeared to be waiting for him. The innkeeper had her arms crossed, "So…a girl came here looking for you, Malerion. She was asking for a soldier but didn't mention you by name. Who is she exactly?"

"She's my-" before he could finish his statement, Ariel announced herself at the front door.

"I'm his employer. This soldier is a Nagarythe emissary loyal to my family and the royal family of Tor Anlec. I hired him to be my bodyguard. You need not know anything beyond that," Ariel interrupted.

'Why did she show herself…ugh, at least she didn't say she was my lady or something awkward,' he thought cringing behind his stoic expression.

"And who are you exactly to purchase the services of an emissary officer?" the innkeeper asked confused.

"I'm the Lady Ariel. My father is the Prince of Evershale. Perhaps you know of Prince Alluin…our local ruler?" she responded pridefully without any hesitation.

'Gods no! I told her to keep a low profile…I don't want these people knowing I'm connected to nobility of Evershale. Damn it!' he thought with anguished dread.

"Oh, my lady…forgive me! I had no idea!" Arryn bowed her head in shock.

"Can you do me a favor…what's your name exactly?" Ariel asked.

"Arryn…Arryn Silverwind," she answered a bit nervously.

"Listen Arryn…you never saw me, understand? If anyone asks about either one of us, I expect you to conveniently forget we were here. Is that clear?" Ariel asked threateningly now.

"O-of course, my lady, but why does your bodyguard stay out at our inn? Wouldn't he have quarters in the city?" Arryn couldn't help but ask.

Ariel stared at her intensely, "He was meeting me here…and this is typically where he stays before he goes home to Nagarythe. I have important duties to attend to that involve me leaving the city."

"I see…well I won't say anything then," Arryn nodded fearfully before glancing at Malekith now.

"See to it that you don't…" Ariel said in a threatening condescending voice. An awkward silence followed for a few seconds as Arryn avoided looking directly at Ariel.

"Malerion, will you be coming back any time soon?" the innkeeper asked him with a concerned face.

He nodded, "Yes, make sure my room is not disturbed."

"Of course, when are you returning?" she followed up.

"A few days at the most. I expect at least one or two minimum. Lady Ariel needs my protection for one of her reckless endeavors," he answered bluntly.

"Enough questions, girl. Mal…erion and I have business to deal with. If you mention this to anyone, I'll make sure this inn is shut down. Understand?" Ariel threatened her again.

'Ironic for a brat like Ariel to call someone older than her "girl". Ariel is a lot crueler than I am…and that's saying something,' Malekith thought to himself as Arryn gulped and left to go upstairs shortly afterwards.

After they exited the Inn, Malekith and Ariel both reached their horses at the nearby stables. The prince quickly put his two packs on his steed before mounting it.

The two left shortly afterwards as Malekith followed Ariel up the nearby mountain pass into the Annulii Mountains. They rode in silence for a few minutes before Malekith finally spoke, "For someone who always droned on about how bad of a prince I am, you're no lady. It served no purpose threatening that girl the way you did. Not only was it tactically compromising, I also found it to be an unnecessary and distasteful use of your authority."

Turning her gaze towards him, Ariel huffed, "As paranoid and heartless as you are, I'm shocked to hear you didn't approve. I thought you'd like it if I took the most direct and callous action. Besides, you're sure one to talk about distasteful authority. You're a prince and you're barely older than I am!"

"I told you to keep a low profile…even if she stays quiet, now that girl and her family will know I'm connected to your family. I don't need that kind of extra attention…especially from her," he sighed.

"So what? They already think you're some emissary, right? It was the quickest way to ensure her silence. Besides, I had to threaten her in case my father's troops come by looking for either of us. And believe me…they will soon enough when they hear about Allisara's condition," Ariel explained.

"That Arryn girl always seemed a bit off to me…the less she suspects me of anything the better. Now she'll only become more curious. Still, I suppose for the sake of saving time your intervention helped. Helping Allisara is far more important than my own convenience. Nevertheless, I suspect something bad will come of this. It always does," he sighed.

Ariel glanced at him from her horse as they rode side by side, "You think that commoner girl is more than an innkeeper? She's not that much older than you or me."

"I feel uncomfortable around her…and she's unusually curious about me. She always tries to give me my money back for overpaying or do me minor favors for no reason. She seems especially adamant about trying to feed me her own cooking. I think she might be trying to make me lower my guard around her to possibly poison me. That girl always remembers everything I do and say…it's concerning. I get the impression she's either a spy or an assassin. Possibly both," he replied.

"I guess that explains why your room was barricaded. You really are paranoid," she noted.

"She's tried to come in before…once with a promiscuous nightgown. It would have been the perfect opportunity to assassinate me," Malekith stated.

Ariel gave him a perplexing look, "So why do you stay there then if you think she's an assassin?"

"Because I like that inn…it's comfortable and I get a good view of the mountains. I'm not scared of some assassin, but I won't fall for her little act," he replied.

"The only reason she'd want to assassinate you is if she knew who you were. If that's the case, then she would certainly reconsider knowing that I am associated with you. Gods you're paranoid. Have you considered other possibilities as to why she's interested in you?" Ariel scoffed.

Malekith looked at her perplexed, "I can't think of any other reasons. Do you have some input on the matter?"

"You're so dense that it's almost hilarious. Maybe she just likes you? I couldn't imagine why, but then again I know who you really are and what you're really like." Ariel chuckled.

"You and I barely know each other…before tonight I don't think we've had a full conversation before. What's that snide insinuation supposed to mean? You don't know me at all." he replied darkly.

"You don't get it, Malekith…nobodies like her spend their entire lives waiting for some hero in shining armour to come by and sweep them away to a life of romance and glory. She lives a boring meaningless life at that peaceful inn and would obviously find a mysterious traveler who is close to her age interesting. As for how I know you…let's just say I pay attention. Isha knows Allisara never stops talking about you either," Ariel stated factually.

"But if Arryn doesn't know that I'm a prince, why would she assume something like that? What would make me interesting to her?" he wondered.

"That's because to commoners a rich emissary soldier seems like an ideal person to attach themselves to. She doesn't think you're nobility and believes she has a chance with you to elevate her status in life. Understand this, Malekith…everyone wants to find some semblance of relevancy in the world. You're probably the most interesting and prestigious person she has seen there…which is saying something considering how lifeless you act," Ariel noted.

"I'm helping you save Allisara and you choose to sling petty insults to my face? I suppose it was too much to hope that you would set aside your festering contempt of me for the time being." he scoffed disbelievingly.

"Don't get me wrong…I'm shocked but incredibly grateful that you agreed to this without any hesitation. I truly am appreciative for it. Maybe you really do consider my sister your friend. That doesn't mean my opinion of you has changed much. You're still an arrogant, power-hungry brute cursed by Khaine. What my sister sees in you is beyond me. Still, if you can help me get this sky basilisk gland, then I'll certainly have a higher opinion of you," Ariel shook her head.

"Well since we're being blunt here, I find you incredibly arrogant, bratty, vindictive, and condescending. I'm a prince and my father is the Phoenix King. I don't care if you dislike me, but you owe me that much respect at the very least. You're like your ignorant mother who believes all the nonsensical rumors about me. You're unable to think for yourself. I've ignored your petty remarks and cold glares over the years, but I refuse to be insulted by you anymore…and especially in person. I don't know why you hate me so much but believe me the feeling is quite mutual. You accuse me of being cruel and yet you dismiss the innkeeper girl's life as irrelevant and worthless. You're a hypocrite," he shot back.

"Aren't you the one who thinks she's an assassin trying to kill you?! You're the hypocrite, Malekith! Well since we're on this topic, why don't I tell you what I REALLY think about YOU!" she got annoyed by his logic.

"Don't bother, Ariel. You've already made that perfectly clear. There's nothing you can say that I haven't heard the courts whispering before. There's nothing you can say that I haven't seen on the faces of countless others. It's probably best that we put aside our dispositions for now. I don't expect this endeavor of ours to change anything between us. The sooner it's over, the sooner you can go back to your life of pampered indulgence and forest frolicking," he stated emotionlessly.

"Avelorn isn't as untouched by the war as you think it is! The last Everqueen died in Avelorn to daemons. Though I'm not surprised that you don't know about it," she shot back.

"I do know that…and I find it disgusting you summer elves just frolic about carelessly when people are dying all over Ulthuan. Don't act like you have anything in common with the people touched by this war. I've seen what they go through on the front lines…you've barely seen the outside of your father's palace," Malekith responded cruelly.

"The thing I hate most about you is that anguished, self-pitying, and mopey persona you always project. You have it made, and you act like your life is so hard and that you're the reluctant champion of the people. You act like you're some misunderstood victim. If you were less of a cruel barbarian, then maybe people would actually like you. I also can't stand the way you treat my sister…like she's a bother! You should be grateful that someone as pure and kind as she is wants to be your friend! My mother doesn't like her being around you and neither do I. She even got hurt trying to get a gift for you…YOU of all people!" Ariel ranted.

"Your petty opinions are noted. Are you done yet?" he groaned.

"You think you can treat people any way you want because your father is the Phoenix King! You think you can treat girls any way you want just because you're pretty too, don't you? You seem like the type who doesn't care about a lady's feelings or compassion." Ariel added emotionally.

He took a moment to respond as their horses galloped slower up the inclining trail, "What are you talking about?"

"Maybe that's why Allisara likes you…it certainly can't be your dreadful personality," she kept going.

"So you're saying YOU think that about me too, then?" he asked confused.

Realizing how her statement sounded now, Ariel blushed in angry adolescent embarrassment, "W-what? No! I don't think that about you at all! That's just what all the noble girls say about you. Considering who your parents are too, they'd believe it regardless of the truth. I think you're mediocre, and you have the worst personality of any elf I've ever met. I can't stand the wannabe stoic, peacocking try-hards like you."

"So noble girls gossip about me like that? I had no idea," Malekith replied after an awkward silence. He completely ignored her insults.

"Don't pretend like you don't know. 'Oh he looks just like our gorgeous Queen, but he has his father's eyes! He's so dark and mysterious! I hear his father personally trains him too! He might be the King one day! I wonder what kind of girls he likes?' Ughh…it makes sick listening to it. Don't act like you're oblivious Malekith. You use that to manipulate people. I can see it as clear as the moon on a summer night," Ariel mocked things she had heard.

"Pfft…I don't associate with irrelevant girls like that, so I've never heard such childish gossip or court fawning. If I ever did humor such pathetic pride in something like that, then my mother has long since snuffed it from me. With that said, I do look a lot like mother though. I've been told that by practically everyone. She is regarded as beautiful, so I know I'm better looking than most. Granted I'm not a lady, so it doesn't mean anything to anyone. My accolades and my reputation are what people care about." Malekith shook his head.

Ariel glanced back at him again, "Allisara probably thinks that about you. Plus, all she ever does is talk about you or worry about you. She's no warrior either…so why do you string her along, huh? Do you consider her some 'irrelevant girl'? If you want to be a miserable power-hungry jerk, then don't involve her in that. She is too kind and compassionate…she deserves better."

"I don't consider her irrelevant…or I wouldn't be here enduring your unbearable presence right now. Allisara is my friend. The only reason I'm here is to help her. I could care less about your misinformed opinions or your twisted perception of my personality and ego. Perhaps you should look in a mirror and fix your own problems before you start worrying about mine," he dismissed her remark.

"Just so you know, if you ever want to be Phoenix King, then you won't be able to marry anyone but the Everqueen. From what I hear, your half-sister Yvraine is most likely going to become the Everqueen. Do you intend on marrying your half-sister Malekith? A vagabond like you probably would just for power! In fact, I bet you wouldn't even hesitate." she retorted pettily in the hopes of angering him.

"I've never met my sister, and I don't really have any intention of it either. I don't care about marriage or all that political nonsense. Asuryan will judge my worth…not some petulant nobles and especially not a brat like you," Malekith spat.

"And that's why you're never going to get anywhere in Ulthuan's politics. You can't bludgeon your way through bureaucracy and tradition. You don't have many friends high up. I doubt even your snake of a mother could sway the courts," Ariel ranted on.

Malekith sighed at her, "Considering how nasty and abrasive you are, I doubt you have any friends either, Ariel. I pity your future husband…assuming you can even get one that is worth a damn."

Malekith shook his head after saying that. Realizing that it could very well be him, made the comment even more cringeworthy to think about after saying it.

"Unlike you, I know how to act around the courts! Don't you dare insult me like that! You know what?! I don't need your help! Just go! I'll do this without you, jerk!" she bellowed.

"Do what exactly? Who is going to show you the way up the mountain or kill this sky basilisk? You?" he shook his head.

"I'm quite skilled with magic I'll have you know. I'm a devout priestess of Isha and a graduate of the mage academy," she boasted.

"Implying that's something I should be impressed over." he rolled his eyes.

Ariel glared at him angrily, "Oh that's right…a warmonger like you is only interested in people's combat abilities. You wouldn't know the first thing about magic. Well just so you know, I have combat training too! I've been trained for years! I could probably beat you in a melee skirmish."

"Right now I'm more interested to know if you're capable of shutting your mouth for more than ten seconds. I could care less about your supposed accolades or your feats. I also know a bit of magic, so it's hardly impressive," he scoffed.

"You do?" Ariel seemed surprised.

He glanced over at her and scoffed, "Yes…I'm shocked Allisara never told you that."

"Why?" the elven teenager wondered as she stared at him confused.

"For the same reason you learned…to pursue a goal. Enough talking for now, we have a half day journey up the mountain," he sighed.

"So you're not leaving then?" she gave him a perplexed look.

Turning his head towards her again he scoffed, "Why would I? Allisara's life is in danger…and someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed up in the mountains. Like it or not, I'm your 'bodyguard' for the time being."

"I only need you to show me the way…I can handle the rest," Ariel brazenly stated with pride.

Malekith sighed heavily as he looked at her summer dress, "Somehow I doubt that…"

"Ughh…let's just get on with this so I don't have to deal with you anymore," she huffed.

"Did you forget that you asked me for help?" he scoffed.

Ariel sighed in defeat, "Can we just stop talking now? You're annoying me."

'She's in for a serious reality check if she thinks going to the mountains in a dress like that is a good idea. Maybe she packed cold weather clothing, but I somehow I doubt it. I think I have my spare set…though I didn't have time to clean it yet,' Malekith thought to himself.

The journey continued on like this for many hours without stopping. Fortunately, it involved extraordinarily little talking, to which he was happy about. The tension between them was thick enough to slice through and both felt uncomfortable as they would occasionally glance at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. The sun had long since risen on their trip and it was nearing midday. Eventually they came upon a treacherous mountain trail that led further up into the peaks of the Annulii mountains. As they got closer towards it, their horses neighed in defiance and refused to move forward another step. The beasts were clearly spooked.

Without hesitation, Malekith dismounted his horse, grabbed his gear, and started walking up the trail.

Ariel called out to him urgently, "Hey wait! Where are you going?!"

"The horses won't go any further up the mountain. They can sense the monsters up there. Wait here and watch them while I go find a sky basilisk. That cliff back there past the crossing has good cover from the elements. Tie them up under there. If it starts to snow, they'll be okay," he ordered.

"I don't take orders from you, Malk! Get back here!" she commanded back.

Pretty soon he began to gain a fair bit of distance causing Ariel to panic a bit. Several minutes passed as he cautiously advanced along the mountain path looking for tracks or other signs of life. It wasn't long before he heard Ariel panting as she sprinted to catch up to him. Though she would doubtfully ever admit it, he could tell Ariel wasn't as confident or brave as she pretended to be.

He turned around to look at her just in time for her ornate dress to tear across a nearby rock and some foliage. It was currently snowing up on the mountain as well and she wasn't properly equipped with any cold weather gear like he was. She was carrying her pack with her and seemed out of breath.

"Ughh! My dress!" she screeched as it was now stuck between the rocks and the vegetation.

Malekith wasted no time making his way over towards her as he drew his sword. Ariel quickly got defensive as she watched him cut half of it off leaving her legs mostly exposed. She screeched at him furiously as her hands lit up with magic.

Malekith immediately covered her mouth and pinned her against the boulder, "Be silent! You'll draw attention to us up here. If we draw more than one beast, we'll be in trouble. You can't move around properly in those clothes. There's a cave nearby…I've stayed in it before. Follow me to it and put on your cold weather clothing."

Reluctantly, Ariel nodded as Malekith pulled his hand off her mouth and continued. A short trek later, they came upon the cave. It was mostly dry and was a nice respite from the snow fall outside. Ariel took this opportunity to sit down and spoke up slowly, "I didn't expect it would be snowing this badly. It wasn't snowing earlier…even at the crossing."

Ariel was quick to look through her pack before a solemn look crossed her face, "I…don't really have much for cold weather clothing. I didn't think it would be snowing."

"These mountains are high in elevation, and they snow year round. The mountains aren't part of the land of eternal summer in Avelorn. I thought you knew that." he sighed heavily at her.

"I do know that! But it's summer across Ulthuan right now, so I didn't think it would be like this! I'll just have to make due without…I have some stuff," she tried to regain some amount of pride.

"Here, put these on…they'll keep you warm," Malekith pulled out a spare set of fur boots, a cloak and fur leggings.

Ariel looked at them a bit perplexed, "These won't fit me…they're too big. Besides, they smell disgusting! Eww there's even blood stains on them! Are these your clothes?! You honestly expect me to wear your dirty clothes?!"

"You can brave the elements without them then if you'd prefer, or perhaps your mage academy taught you some spells that will help keep you warm," he said sarcastically.

"Fine…do you mind giving me some privacy?" she followed up bitterly.

He immediately turned his back to her, "Be quick…we have a lot more ground to cover."

"Don't look, okay! I don't want someone like you eyeing me up!" she said hostilely.

"As if I'd care to," he shot back.

"I can't believe you did this to my dress! That was completely unnecessary. Do you even think before you act?" she complained as she swiftly began to change clothes.

He shook his head, "I can't believe you thought coming to the mountains without cold weather attire was a good idea. All of that education means nothing if you lack experience and wisdom. You are sorely lacking in common sense."

"I was in a hurry, alright?! If I stayed around in Evershale I'd probably be confined to my room right about now! I also wanted to catch you since I didn't know the way up here. I've never…" she didn't get to finish her sentence.

"You've never left your pretty little Tor or the forests around it," he interrupted her, "which is why your input here means little to me. As much as it pains you to admit it, you can't do this without me. You knew that…and that's why you asked me to help even despite our poor disposition. Your pride is wounded having to rely on me, and you're channeling this poor attitude to cover up your shame and insecurity."

"I hate you! You can't treat me like this, Malekith! This is why people don't like you!" she spitefully responded.

He glanced back at her now, "Don't serve it out if you can't take it back."

"Hey, I'm not done yet!" she shouted as he turned fully towards her now. She had the pants and boots on but was almost topless now . She held her dress up to cover herself, "Have some shame, you brute!"

"Take this too. Meet me outside when you're finished," he handed her a quilted tunic from his pack. She swiftly covered herself with it and blushed angrily. He paid her no mind and then walked outside.

A minute later, she came outside wearing the tunic with the cloak over it. She was now properly outfitted in mountain attire. Malekith looked at her calmly, "Alright, remember to walk softly and try not to make much noise. Be wary of the ice and don't look down when we reach the gorge. Make sure to tread carefully so you don't fall on the ice. I would advise you stay close to me…as painful as it might be for you."

Upon finishing his sentence a hard slap came across his face from the flustered elven teenager. She glared at him fiercely, "You're the worst!"

He stared at her unfazed which seemed to make her even more upset. She tried to slap him again, but he caught her hand mid-slap. Ariel's face twisted in pain and disbelief when he squeezed her hand a bit rougher than necessary.

"I meant to ask you earlier…did you secure our horses?" he asked without showing any emotion other than stoicism.

"I left them tied up where you wanted. They're at that crossing under the cliff further down the hill. They have some cover, and I left a note with them too. I would have done a better job had you not rushed me," Ariel answered without making eye contact.

"I think it might be best for you to go watch the horses and set up a camp there. Preferably a bit further down the path as well. I'm certain it would also alleviate a lot of stress in your guards and your family for me to keep you out of danger. These mountains are extremely treacherous and unforgiving to the inexperienced," he replied as he let go of her hand and began to depart.

He made it several meters before she called out to him again, "W-wait! We probably shouldn't split up. How is staying at a camp by myself safer than traveling with you?!"

"Your fear is going to get you injured or killed up here. Unless you do exactly what I say, I can't keep you alive. I won't have two Avelorn noble girls dying under my vigilance. Go wait with the horses and set up a camp," he commanded.

"I'm not afraid! Stop acting like you're so much better than me! Show me some respect, Malekith! I'm NOT a child!" she bellowed defiantly.

"You're such a child…it's strange to think that you're the older sister. I won't respect you until you respect me. That's how this works. Insulting or threatening me like I'm some commoner isn't going to get you anywhere. I outrank you both in age and position. I outrank your father too. You're fortunate that I like your family, or I would not have tolerated your tantrums for this long." he stated calmly.

Ariel seemed to calm down as Malekith's words pierced her ego. She spoke a bit shamefully, "I didn't come all this way just to sit around and let you do all of the work. I want to help my sister and I want to be useful. I'll do what you say and stay close, alright?"

He stared at her for a brief moment before sighing, "Fine…then make yourself useful and carry my second pack. It should be light enough for you."

Ariel looked at him disbelievingly as he threw her one of his two packs of gear to carry. As he expected she looked like she wanted to protest. Much to his surprise, she bit her lip and didn't complain. In truth, he didn't need her to carry it, but this was a good way to humble her somewhat. It seemed quite effective as the other teenager finally seemed to understand that he was in charge of this quest in the mountains and that she couldn't boss him around.

They continued on their journey for a short while in uncomfortable silence before Ariel spoke again, "You probably think I'm like all those weak girls in the cities…I'm not. Look I'm…sorry okay? I don't actually hate you. I'm just worried about Allisara and I guess I took it out on you. You're right, but it doesn't mean you should be so mean to me. I admit I don't have experience with this kind of thing, but that also doesn't mean I'm incompetent. I'd respect you more if you weren't so cruel. The way you look at me…like I'm clueless. It just makes me really angry."

"I never said that you were incompetent. Your sister speaks highly of you…" he shrugged as he stopped briefly near a deep overpass. Below them was a huge drop between two mountains. The view beyond it was amazing as they could see the mountains towering into the skies and a beautiful landscape beyond them. Past these mountains were the lands of Nagarythe and Chrace.

Malekith stared at it for a long moment deep in thought. Ariel noticed his features calm as he took in the breathtaking view. It almost seemed to relax him and draw out a serene side that was previously invisible to her. Not once had Ariel ever seen Malekith untense like this. It was likely the girl found it interesting that he enjoyed the sight of nature. She herself found it almost overwhelming as she stared at the view along with him.

"Wow…it's so beautiful up here," she finally spoke drawing them out of their gawking silence.

He looked over at her and nodded, "The view atop these mountains is my favorite in all of Ulthuan. There's a whole world out there…I would love to see it all one day."

"Really?" she asked surprised.

He nodded, "Yes…when I'm out exploring by myself away from the cities, it feels like I can breathe. Up here everything is much clearer. No attendants, no politics, no petty scheming, or war councils…just the pure sight of what I want to protect and a reminder of what I want to see and experience. Despite what you might think, I care more about sights like this than anything in Tor Anlec."

Ariel had no idea what to say in response and stared into the horizon again, "I guess it's easy to forget how big the world is when you never leave home."

"Allisara said the same thing when I showed her around Nagarythe. You two are more alike than I thought possible," he chuckled.

The sight of him laughing caught her completely off guard as she shot a bewildered look his way, "A-are you laughing?!"

"No. Come, we should keep moving. We need to cross this gorge. That path over there will take us across. It's slippery and dangerous so please stay close to me. Sky Basilisks usually have lairs near the eyrie peaks of the great eagles on that peak right across," he returned to his usual demeanor immediately.

"So…what do you like about Allisara? I find it strange that someone like you would be her friend. You two are complete opposites." Ariel tried to break the tension between them. The fact that he didn't acknowledge her apology earlier was still bothering her.

"She's innocent…pure…kind. She sees the good in all things…she sees the good in me. Allisara believes in me more than anyone. Certainly more than my parents do. While she is naïve and a bit too optimistic, I always feel at ease in her presence. She doesn't seem like the type who'd betray me. I value people like that," Malekith answered much to Ariel's disbelief.

"Look, I don't actually believe all the crazy rumors about you…I'm not that ignorant. I apologized to you earlier…aren't you going to acknowledge it at all?" she asked hopefully.

He glanced at her unfazed and changed the subject, "The sky basilisks usually prey on the eggs of the great eagles so we should keep our guards up. The eagles are also territorial so don't go near their nests. There's a side trail we can take near the eyrie that leads down to a network of caves."

"This is the part you apologize back…" Ariel sighed.

"I wasn't wrong…what's there to apologize for?" he replied.

Ariel grimaced at him, "You're just…so damn impossible. You might be right about some of the things you said, but you can still show sincerity for upsetting me. You don't care about people's feelings at all…I apologized to you, and you don't even care."

"My apologies then, Ariel…I am still fresh from the battlefield, I'm tired, and I am also stressed about Allisara's condition. It is not my intention to worsen the rift between us. In my current state of mind I suppose I don't have as much patience as I usually do. Let's just let it go, and treat each other with mutual respect," Malekith finally apologized back.

She actually seemed relieved the moment he did and nodded, "Thank you, Malekith…let's just try to get along for Allisara's sake. I'll be more respectful to you."

He nodded in response, "Then it's done…come let's keep moving. We're getting closer now."

Their journey continued onward as they crossed the treacherous gorge and progressed further up the mountain. Ariel seemed a bit afraid of heights, but she did her best to not show it from what Malekith could tell. Finally they reached some type of eyrie. Ariel looked around in amazement at the massive eagles flying around it.

As they approached the eyrie, Ariel glanced at Malekith with piercing curiosity, "I forgot to ask you this…but how exactly do you know your way up here so well? Very few elves ever venture to the peaks of the Annulii Mountains. Allisara mentioned it before, but she never explained what you did up here."

He turned his head towards her and answered a bit hesitantly, "I've been up here with my mother a few times before…that's all you really need to know. She showed me this trail."

Ariel sighed in defeat at his refusal to directly answer her question. They calmly worked their way higher up the mountain and didn't speak again for a few minutes.

"Malekith…I have another question for you. Allisara told me your mother was a sorceress and that she could use Dhar. Is that actually true?" Ariel asked him another question to break their ever-present awkward and tense silence again.

He paused briefly and looked at her, "I had hoped she wouldn't say anything about that. Yes, it's true."

Ariel's eyes widened in shock. Part of her seemed to be in disbelief that he would admit that to her.

"D-do you know how to use Dhar?" she followed up slowly.

"Yes. I know how to use Dhar and Qhaysh," he answered honestly, "It's not common knowledge that I'm a mage, so I would appreciate if you didn't tell everyone about it. People already think I'm too much like my mother," Malekith answered honestly.

She looked taken aback, "I've read about dark magic. It's mostly practiced by the cult of Hekarti. They're mostly savage occultist mages that live in the wilderness. Your…mother taught you that? D-don't you think that's a bit…unsettling?"

"What? The fact that my mother is a dark sorceress or the fact that she would teach me?" he asked.

"Well…both. In the academy, we learned a bit about Dhar and how dangerous it is. My instructors told me it was forbidden. I hear dark magic is very destructive. You can't use it without it taking a toll on your body or the environment. Why would your mother know such dark arts? Does she worship Hekarti?!" Ariel gasped.

"I don't know…but believe me it concerns me just as much as it concerns you. My father found it quite disturbing as well and told me not to use it around others. My mother is not as innocent or kind as she pretends to be. Honestly, I think she's cruel and hateful. The way she looks down on others…her blatant disregard for lowborn elves…the way she scolds me for showing weakness or sympathy…she's right, but she's wrong in some ways. I often find myself conflicted about her teachings." Malekith trailed off not really sure how to articulate his point.

Ariel seemed extremely receptive to his words, but shocked that he would speak ill of his own mother, "I would have expected you to defend her…or lie about this."

"I won't deny any of your accusations against her. My mother is snake-tongued, and behind her pretty face is a malicious tyrant. Her lessons have taught me a great deal, but not all of them I agree with. Despite her wishes, I don't seek to abuse magic or pursue absolute power. Nevertheless, I am not opposed to using any ability in my arsenal to safeguard Ulthuan. Plus, the more I know about Dhar, the more I can safeguard myself from my own mother's power. It's a complicated issue…I would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself," Malekith answered solemnly.

"Hmph…maybe I was too harsh on you. At least you're aware that your mother is a bit…concerning. I mean the whole court in Nagarythe is unsettling, but she's the worst in my opinion. I suppose getting away from her is quite good for you. Though the alternative is fighting daemons with your father and his men. I have great respect for the Phoenix King, but we hear some scary stories about him too. No wonder you're so…messed up. No offense. I can really see why you like being by yourself up in the mountains now," she seemed to finally show some empathy.

"Strange you would say that after believing I live a privileged life…" he pointed out.

She bit her lip, "I was wrong okay? Sorry…I just assumed someone raised in that court would be rotten. What I mean to say is, you're not as bad as I thought you were. I…never mind."

"We can talk about unrelated topics on the way back…we need to get a basilisk before the night sets in. We only have an hour or so left of daylight. Plus the snow is starting to get thicker," he changed the subject.

They cautiously advanced into the proximity of a great eagle eyrie as they moved slowly and quietly. The nearby eagles flying around the Eyrie eyed them hostilely as if they were prey, but Malekith made sure to keep distance so they wouldn't attack.

Ariel seemed a bit nervous as the large birds stared at them, "Are they going to attack us?"

"Not if we keep our distance from their nests. The giant eagles up here usually don't target elves. They mostly eat the game in the forest down below," he answered.

"So why did the horse get so spooked way back at the end of the trail when there were no animals anywhere near us?" she wondered.

He then brought a finger to his lips to silence her before pointing down in the distance below the Eyrie. There they saw a six-legged sky basilisk eating a goat. Ariel almost gasped in fright, but Malekith quickly covered her mouth, "Shh…stay calm."

She pulled his hand off and whispered urgently, "That one is way bigger than the beast that attacked Allisara. Do you have any plan on how to kill it?"

"I do. For your own safety, I'd prefer you wait back and let me handle it by myself," he followed up.

Ariel frowned, "I came all this way...I want to help. Do you not want my help? What exactly are you going to do?"

"Magic isn't that effective against Sky Basilisk scales. It often bounces off unless you hit their undersides. I know a spell that can impale it from below, but I'll need to draw it out of the cave. Do you know where the glands are in these beasts?" he asked her.

Ariel nodded, "Yes, the glands are in their mouths…but are you sure about this? I can help you. I want to help you."

"Alright…what kinds of spells do you know? Only physical spells will actually harm this thing…but they won't kill it," he asked her.

Ariel thought for a moment, "Well, I have a spell that can manipulate earth."

"Can you form it into a stalagmite to impale the creature?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yes I can do that…but how are we going to draw it out?"

"One of us should draw its attention and be a distraction. I'll do it if you're confident in your spell. I just need the beast immobilized long enough for me to cast two of my own. If you're not comfortable with it, I can do it by myself," he stated calmly.

Ariel looked shocked by his suggestion, "W-wait…those things can petrify you. It's too dangerous to draw it out like that. There has to be a better way. Also…I'm not entirely sure how big of a stalagmite I can actually make. Maybe it's better if I'm the distraction."

"No, I won't risk your life like that…it has to be me. I'm going to close my eyes when it comes out…I need you to be my eyes and tell me when it's close. Make sure to signal me before it can bite me as well. We can cast our binding spells together and I'll finish it off afterwards," he suggested.

"Wait…so you're putting your life in my hands now? Seriously? You actually trust me to keep you alive?" she could barely believe it.

Malekith nodded, "Of course I do…I doubt you remember the way back down. You could wait here if you'd prefer I do it alone. I would honestly feel better if you let me do it by myself."

"I get the feeling you don't want me to see something...what's this second spell you're going to cast?" she wondered.

"Ariel…I have a request to ask of you. Honour it and I'll be in your debt," Malekith trailed off.

She perked up again and stared at him, "What is it?"

"Promise me you won't tell anyone what you're about to see up here. I've been honest with you so far in the hopes that you will acknowledge this request," he said slowly.

Her head tilted in concern, "Why…is it bad? Are you going to cast some terrible Dhar spell?"

"Just promise me…and I'll be wholly in your debt. Whatever you want. If you want me to never see Allisara again, then so be it," he followed up.

"Malekith you're scaring me…what is this spell?" she shook her head with a frightened face.

"It's the only spell I know that'll actually kill a Sky Basilisk outright…especially one that big. The impaling spells will only immobilize it long enough for me to cast this spell. These creatures can regenerate, so it would take too much damage to quickly kill it before it can attack or petrify one of us. We need to kill it as fast as we can. Had we arrived earlier I might have set up traps, but we're running out of daylight. I only have one option given these circumstances," he explained.

"I don't like this…but I promise I won't say anything. We're doing this for Allisara. I'd pay any price to keep her alive," Ariel said bravely.

"Let's do this then…I'm counting on you, Ariel," he said before climbing down.

His uncharacteristic trust of her seemed to almost invigorate Ariel with confidence as she nodded in response. Ariel followed behind him but kept an adjacent and safe distance from the cave as Malekith slowly approached it.

She wondered how he was going to draw the creature out and stared with a worried expression as Malekith got closer. He then reached down and picked up a big rock before throwing it into the cave.

Shortly afterwards, a terrifying growl echoed out of it followed by thuds. Malekith kept his eyes open as long as he could and did his best to calculate its distance and incoming speed. Finally he closed his eyes as he began to chant a quiet incantation.

"Tell me when, Ariel…" he spoke to the other elf who was crouching behind the cover of a boulder peeking out. She was also busy conjuring up a spell.

She almost lost her voice when she stared at the massive monster now charging Malekith. Finally, she managed to shout before it was too late, "N-now, Malekith!"

Upon shouting her remark, Ariel released her spell impaling the creature close to its gonadal area. It was immediately followed by Malekith's spell which was almost horrific to watch. The snow surrounding them formed up into a jagged icy point as it impaled the creature directly in its chest. The sky basilisk cried out in pain as it began to writhe wildly.

"It's stuck Malekith! Move back, it's thrashing at you!" Ariel called out causing Malekith to step back with his eyes still closed. The sight of the dark ice was strange to Ariel as it caused the nearby snow to blacken and evaporate all around them in an almost unholy way.

"Alilirnaa , lirareth, tryleirarethia. Málorbriel trilininbri, trylrias Hekarti!" Malekith chanted some bizarre spell causing the surrounding area to darken as winds of magic visibly formed around his location.

"Malekith it's breaking out, hurry!" Ariel called out.

Moments later a piercing and evil magic converged around him as Malekith channeled it into the creature's face. The magic caused its eyes to explode and the monster to start hemorrhaging uncontrollably.

The beast flailed and thrashed in pain before what looked to be like its very soul was being sucked out of it and into the violent and evil winds of magic overhead. Before long, the creature slumped over completely dead as the magic dispersed away. Sadly, however, it also sucked a bit out of Malekith's magic as well causing him to slump over in pain.

He panted heavily as he ceased his magic and finally opened his eyes. Ariel was already halfway towards him and looked down at Malekith in horror as he tried to stand up.

"By Isha, what was that?!" she shrieked.

"Not too loud…don't agitate the eagles," Malekith calmed her as he stood up slowly.

Pulling off his gauntleted gloves he looked at his hands which were stinging with agonizing pain. The very edge of his fingertips had gone completely black. Ariel looked at it concerned, "Is that frostbite?"

"No…it's not," he said slowly as he looked away from her trying to hide his pained face.

"What was that spell, Malekith?" she asked with a deeply worried tone.

He sighed, "It's call Soul Tear…it's one of my strongest spells, but it…takes a toll on me to cast."

"Why would you do that? We could have found another way…look at your fingertips…is that permanent?!" she demanded.

He looked away, "It's only permanent if overused. They usually go back to normal after a few days. My mother also knows how to heal it."

"We could have found another way…that was reckless to cast such a dangerous spell. What if it had killed you?!" she demanded.

He looked at her carelessly, "It didn't…"

"I…I can't believe you know magic like that. A dhar spell that advanced could only come from the Cult of Hekarti." Ariel said slowly.

"From the Tome of Hekarti itself…a tome that belongs to my mother. Now you see why I don't want you talking about it. Magical monsters can only be killed decisively with magical weapons or high level spells like this. It was the only way to kill it that quickly and not risk petrification or getting bitten," he sighed.

Ariel bit her lip as she thought about what to say. Finally she sighed, "A promise is a promise…I won't say anything. But…you should seriously be careful with magic like that. It could kill you."

"Is that concern you're showing for me? How unexpected," he chuckled.

"Your mother really is a Hekarti worshipper…isn't she?" Ariel realized.

Malkeith sighed heavily, "Yes…"

"By the gods…that's horrifying. How can Ulthuan be safe if she's the queen then?" Ariel wondered.

The prince shook his head, "Cytharai gods are still gods Ariel…but I understand your concern. What alternative would you suggest then? Warn the courts that my mother is a dark sorceress? That would only weaken my family and sow discord amongst Ulthuan. In these dark times, it's important that the elves stand united against our common enemy…the daemons. Sometimes you have to pay a high price to protect things you care about. Plus, how else would you suggest I defend myself from these powers without understanding them? I share your concerns, Ariel…but I do what I must."

"You're right. Don't worry, I'll keep your secret Malekith. I'm just relieved that you at least realize your mother is troubling and this magic is dangerous. The important thing is we killed this sky basilisk. I'll get to work extracting the gland right now," Ariel let the issue go as she went to collect a gland.

"Get a few while we're here…it might be good to have reserves for Evershale in case someone else is attacked…or in case the apothecary messes up on making the antidote," Malekith added.

Ariel looked back over at him, "Ever the pessimist, but good idea…got anything to put these in?"

"I have an empty food container in my pack. Just wrap them in my spare bandages and put them in there," he replied before handing her the necessary items. He then put his gauntleted gloves back on as the pain in his fingertips eased up slightly.

An awkward silence followed as they extracted and loaded the glands into the packs. Ariel looked less grossed out by it than Malekith expected she would. He took the opportunity to take many scales, teeth, and other useful reagents as well. He knew some of these were useful for potions since that was the main reason his mother came up here on occasion.

As the prince examined the beast more closely during this harvesting of parts, he noticed a peculiar pattern of magic scarring beneath its scales and around its head. The spiderweb network of purpled veins around its exploded eyes in particular were peculiar.

Channeling a bit of magic to detect its trace residue, he subtly tried to identify if it was from his own spell or not. The subdermal webbed scarring was not something he had ever seen when casting soul tear. This damage looked gradual and not immediate. It didn't take long before Malekith's eyes widened a bit spooked, 'This beast had a hexing spell on it…an advanced one too. Nothing else could have caused this type of wound except a long-term hex. The scarring goes all the way to its brain. Judging by the damage, it was cast weeks ago. Mother is the only one I can think of who knows the way up here…and she would certainly know such a spell…'

"I still don't understand why a Sky Basilisk was all the way down the mountains…these things live way up here. The one that attacked us was in the forest. It chased us until I got Allisara to the road. I definitely want to study these beasts some more when I get back home. What do you make of the situation, Malekith?" Ariel shook her head as she loaded up the rest of the glands and other trophies in one of the packs.

'Did mother hex these beasts? Why though? I suppose that might explain why one ventured down the mountain.' Malekith reflected on this horrific discovery.

His deep and worried expression was evident to Ariel as she waved a hand in front of his face, "Malekith, you okay? What's wrong? Is that spell's aftereffect still hurting?"

"No…I'm fine. I have no idea why one of these beasts would venture down the mountain, but it's worth investigating later. Right now though, we should get out of here before nightfall," he said calmly as he stood up.

'Maybe I'm just imagining things, but is it possible mother tried to hex a sky basilisk into attacking Allisara? I know she doesn't like her…no, mother wouldn't do that…would she? Still, someone hexed these beasts. There's no other reason why a sky basilisk would leave the mountains and enter the forest. All I know for certain is someone tried to kill Allisara…whether it was mother or some other magic user. Either explanation is pretty grim. I can't say anything about this, but I need to find a way to keep Allisara safer without worrying her. I can't let Ariel find out about this either,' Malekith thought to himself as he walked back over towards the cliff and began to climb up.

Ariel was quick to follow him. They had little trouble backtracking through the eyrie and closer towards the gorge they crossed earlier, but now the weather had taken a toll for the worst. The snow was so heavy and thick that they could barely see the trail or identify the familiar landmarks.

"The weather is getting really bad…I can't see the path. If we make a wrong step we'll fall down the gorge. How are you doing back there?" Malekith said seriously as he turned back and waited for Ariel to catch up.

She looked like she was freezing and was visibly shivering uncontrollably. She had cast a number of different spells to warm herself during their journey back, but it didn't seem to do much good after a while and only seemed to tire her out even more. Unlike Malekith, she wasn't wearing nearly as much cold weather clothes, or even armour like he was.

"I…don't feel well, Malekith. Can we stop for a minute," she muttered out incoherently before falling over.

He quickly managed to catch her before she could plummet into the snow. The girl was still shivering, which was a good sign, but she would freeze to death if he ignored her condition. Not to mention, Ariel didn't have the same conditioning or endurance to cold weather that he did. Malekith pat her cheek a couple times to get her attention, "Hey, Ariel! Stay with me!"

"I…I can't move," she managed to get out.

"You have to keep moving to stay warm. It's all downhill once we get past the gorge. Just hang in there for little while longer," Malekith tried to reassure her.

"I can't feel anything…how close are we to the horses?" she asked incoherently.

Glancing back around, he saw the treacherous gorge that they would have to cross again. There was no way she was going to be able to safely walk over it in her condition. He let out a sigh, "We need to get to shelter…we should be able to reach that first cave we stopped at, but we have to cross the gorge. If we wait it out over here, ice will form and that will take days to melt. We'll make a camp at the cave, and I'll go get our horses."

"I…okay. I can walk, I'm alright…" Ariel tried to muster up her energy, but it was to no avail as she nearly fell down again. This time she fell directly into his chest.

"Are we going to die up here, Malekith?" she stuttered between freezing words.

He shook his head, "No…I'll carry you across. Can you get on my back and hold on?"

Ariel nodded incoherently as he turned around and knelt over. She weakly wrapped her arms over his neck and her legs around his waist. He braced her legs tightly in support. This was not going to be an easy walk…he had to carry three packs and Ariel herself now over a slippery gorge he could barely see. The added spoils from the sky basilisk weighed him down even more.

Add that to the fact that he himself was also extremely tired and cold, and the situation only seemed pretty dire. He knew convincingly that Ariel was in bad condition if she'd agree to this so willingly right away. He had to move before the weather got even worse. Slowly, but surely Malekith made his way over the gorge. He nearly lost his footing a few times but maintained poise as the walk took three times longer on this return trip.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the cave they had been to earlier in the day. By this point, it was practically a blizzard outside, and it was well into the night. They had no choice now…they would have to spend the night in this cave.

He quickly went to work setting the girl up in a cozy spot out of the wind before starting a large fire. They were deep enough into the cave for some good wind and snow cover, but judging by the weather, they would probably get snowed in overnight. Still…there wasn't a better alternative given Ariel's condition or his own deteriorating energy.

Ariel was still conscious and was staring at him with distant confusion as he took his armour off and then his cloak. He wasted no time wrapping her in it and also pulled out a blanket from his main pack to bundle her in.

She seemed slightly better now, but extremely fatigued. Malekith knelt down next to her and tapped her cheek to get her attention, "Listen Ariel…I'll be right back. I need to go check on our horses and make sure they're okay."

"No!" she protested with a small burst of energy, "don't leave me alone here. Please…I'm scared."

"If our horses freeze to death, we won't make it back to Evershale in time…" he reminded her.

Ariel shook her head, "They're okay…I left them under that cliff we passed on the way here. They have cover from the storm."

"Okay…I'll stay," he nodded.

Malekith then sat down directly next to Ariel. Close enough to where their bodies were pressed against one another. She looked at him suspiciously as he pulled the blanket on her to cover him as well.

"I'm still freezing…" she commented after a brief moment of silence.

"We need to share our body heat…and get closer to the fire so our clothes will dry faster. Come here," he reached an arm around her and drew her in closer to where she was practically in his lap. Malekith then moved closer towards the fire before wrapping his arms around Ariel from the back. It felt a bit embarrassing to do as he was practically embracing her from behind, but he knew it had to be done.

She let out a yelp of shock and looked visibly distressed at first, but she wasn't energetic enough to make a huge fuss about it. Nevertheless, she did say something, "What are you doing? This is awkward…"

"I'm keeping you alive. Sharing body heat is an effective way to combat the cold. It would be more effective if it involved bare skin, but I doubt either one of us wants to go that far," he noted.

Ariel turned her head around and looked up at him shyly, "What are you saying…you want us to cuddle naked together?"

"I…no. I was just saying that's the most effective way for this to work. We're fine like this. I wouldn't suggest something like that unless we had no choice. If we were in a tent instead of a cave then it might have been necessary," he tried to be professional about the situation.

"This is inappropriate…watch where you're touching me. Your hands are cold!" Ariel said with embarrassment as she hid her blush from the awkward situation.

"Like it or not, it's the only thing that's going to keep us both alive," he muttered.

"Fine, but you better not tell anyone about this…" she continued to blush.

"Believe me, it's just as unpleasant for me as it is for you," he replied.

"Oh well I didn't realize you were so grossed out by me…" she said pettily.

"I'm not grossed out, Ariel…I'm also embarrassed," he admitted.

She looked over at him now with her blush ever present. Their faces were extremely close. They could faintly see each other lit in the darkness from the nearby fire.

Ariel stared at him confused, "So…I guess we're going to be like this for a while?"

"Yeah…" he responded blankly.

"I never expected to be in this position with you of all people…this feels too intimate," she said with each word becoming less and less audible.

Pretending to be oblivious, Malekith avoided her gaze, "What makes you think this is intimate?"

"Yeah, maybe that's not the right word. It's definitely strange though. You're certain we're going to make it through the night if we do this, right? I don't want to die in your arms," she remarked.

"That's understandable…this is all for Allisara's sake. Just consider it another secret we'll keep about this entire trip," Malekith reminded her.

To his surprise, Ariel leaned back even closer now and tried to force him to make eye contact with her, "Do you care about her…romantically I mean?"

"No…it's nothing like that. She's just my friend," Malekith said convincingly much to his relief. While he had humored the idea before, it seemed like a delusional fantasy at best and a bad idea at worst. He purposely avoided Allisara these days so his mother wouldn't pay her any mind. Sadly, that seemed quite ineffective if his discovery about the hexes truly originated from his mother.

Ariel stared at him curiously, "So…do you think she's pretty at least?"

"Of course she is…in a platonic, aesthetic kind of way. Girls in Avelorn are much gentler looking than the ones in Nagarythe. Allisara is a maiden who I'd liken to Lileath herself. She certainly embodies all the traits of her favored goddess," he answered as unfazed as possible.

"So you do think she's pretty then? That's surprising to hear considering how aloof you are with girls. She and I look remarkably similar…do you think I'm pretty too, Malekith?" Ariel asked him shyly.

He couldn't believe Ariel would even ask him this question and felt a blush of his own coming on. He did his best to maintain passive indifference and pretend it didn't faze him. Malekith assumed this was probably just her delirium at work and refused to acknowledge any other possibility.

"What brought this on all of a sudden?" he gave her a perplexed look.

She turned her head and looked forward again to hide her shame, "Never mind…forget I even asked that."

"You're not unattractive…but I don't really prioritize such observations in my own thoughts. You and Allisara do look a lot alike. You're taller and your hair is more golden, but you have the same face almost. So, yes I suppose I do think that you are pretty…platonically of course." he tried to answer as straight-faced as possible. Even despite his typical attitude, he was still an adolescent and felt embarrassment admitting something like that to a girl. While normally he wouldn't even indulge someone with an answer or an explanation like this, Malekith didn't want to worsen the rift with Ariel…especially now that she knew some of his secrets. Plus, he did promise Alluin that he would try to befriend her. It was certainly clear that they would never quite look at each other the same after this trip.

"You…do huh?" she evoked a disbelieving reaction as she hid her face.

"Yes…just don't get the wrong idea though," he replied a bit guarded.

Ariel huffed in disapproval, "I could say the same to you…don't start getting any funny ideas about doing anything to me since we're alone in this cave…"

"At least you're talking normally again. Another hour out in that blizzard and things could have been bad," he changed the subject the first chance he got.

Ariel glanced at him again and seemed to have a genuine look of emotion on her face, "Thanks for carrying me over that gorge…and well for coming here. You're right…I probably would have gotten myself killed if you weren't here."

"You're welcome…I'm just grateful that you actually thought to ask me. The whole point of this trip to Evershale was to spend time with Allisara. Plus your father wants to educate me on court politics as well. Hopefully, the rest of my little vacation goes better than this. At the very least, you gained some real world experience as well," he sighed.

"My father wants to teach you? I didn't know that. What do you think of my father anyways, Malekith?" Ariel wondered.

The prince thought for a moment before responding, "Prince Alluin is a good person. He's always been friends with my father, but he treats me with respect despite being young enough to be his son. He also does a lot of unseen and thankless work to safeguard Avelorn. He's one of the few people in the courts I genuinely respect. He's also the only Prince from Avelorn who I don't consider a coward. He bravely fought alongside my father's army in that last battle. I can see where Allisara got her kindness and empathy from. It certainly wasn't from your mother. I imagine you get your courage from Alluin."

"My mother doesn't actually hate you…but she doesn't like the court in Nagarythe. She says they're really malicious and power hungry up there. I imagine she and many others around Ulthuan have strange ideas about how someone raised in that environment would be. She's just worried that you're a bad influence on Allisara and…me too I guess. Maybe if you act normal and talk to her, she will change her mind. I certainly had no idea that you were concerned about all the bad things they do," Ariel rationalized.

"She's right to feel that way…the courts in Nagarythe are nasty. That's why I enjoy getting away from them as often as possible. Though I hardly get a good reception anywhere else in Ulthuan. It seems even worse now that Morelion and Yvraine have returned. Why do you think I travel with an alias? I'd rather blend in as a soldier than be seen as the 'royal bastard' of Aenarion in the other kingdoms," Malekith opened up a bit as he explained his point of view.

"It's strange…I never expected you were like this," Ariel noted.

"Like what exactly?" the dark haired prince wondered.

Ariel hid her face as she slowly answered, "Hands on I guess…or down to earth in a way. I was definitely wrong about you being spoiled. You're a prince and you came up here yourself to help Allisara. Plus, you don't seem like you actually agree with the extremists in Nagarythe. I wrongly assumed anyone raised in that environment must have been rotten. Especially considering how your mother is…it's just refreshing to know that you don't agree with all the things she says or does. I mean your reason for learning dark magic was even a good one. I'd even consider learning it just to safeguard myself from that type of magic. You're not all bad I guess…though it won't be easy to change the minds of people who've never met you. You could probably change my mother's mind at least. When she hears about what you did for Allisara…I'll make sure she knows that you helped me."

"I'm surprised to hear your opinion of me has changed so dramatically. You're certainly not like other girls if you can see things that way. Maybe that's something you and Allisara share…true empathy," Malekith tried to be nice without getting sappy.

"You're still a jerk, but I think more of you now…for whatever that's worth to you." Ariel immediately brought her walls back up.

"All that matters is Allisara will be okay once we get out of here," Malekith changed the subject.

"I hope she's doing alright…if we don't get these basilisk glands to the healers by tomorrow, then it might be too late," the other teenager stated somberly.

"We should try to get some sleep…hopefully the storm will have passed by then and we can dig our way out to head back," Malekith tried to be optimistic for once.

"Sleep does sound nice…right…now," Ariel spoke slower and slower as drowsiness finally seemed to claim her.

It didn't take long for Malekith to feel the same as he stared at the fire and finally let his body relax in the warmth.

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Alright well I updated this again after however many months it was. Like I said before, it's not really a high priority, but I do enjoy writing this story. I'm crazy and I write 20 k plus word chapters for some reason. Anyways, I guess I'll give you the usual commentary and explain a few things before we wrap this chapter up. I'm not sure if you guys even read my footnotes, but whatever.

So Malekith gets his old sword and armour from the Lady of the Lake as he ventures to rescue the town of Seafield. Avanuir was his original sword that he lost before making Destroyer. It's been missing for a long time, so only a few people in the world will recognize it such as his mother, a certain dwarf, and especially Ariel. In addition to that, he also gets some armour from the lady and starts to realize that she actually is a god when it materializes onto him. Now progression wise the acquisition of these items might seem a bit fast this early in the story…but Malekith will receive plenty of upgrades and cool stuff along his epic RPG adventure as he levels up and relearns all of his magic. He'll probably end up getting his Witch King sword Destroyer back too. Though with his current gear and the Amulet of Sunfire, he's ready to start his epic adventure of ass kicking, anti-hero shenanigans. If there is a lost relic or an old paraphernalia of his that you really want him to get in this story, then feel free to mention it. I have a few planned later down the line already.

Concerning the Pantheonic Mandala on the armour itself, I took some liberties here while still trying to respect the lore almost canonically. Now as most of you elven lore nerds will know, there are three primary Mandalas shown in Warhammer fantasy. There's the Asur one, the Druchii one, and the Asrai one. You can google these and see what their actual pantheon preference is. Like the Druchii one is. 1. Khaine, 2. Ereth Khial, 3. Anath Raema, 4. Hekarti, 5. Atharti. Etc etc and so on. The Asrai one has Kurnous and Isha together at the middle with Khaine and Asuryan somewhere in the mid to outer ring. Malekith only recognizes and remembers the Asur one which is: 1. Asuryan, 2. Vaul, 3. Isha, 4. Kurnous, etc etc. There are certain variations in which different parts of Ulthuan might hold a certain god in higher importance…such as Mathlann in Lothern...though generally speaking each faction's Mandala has their primary god(s) in the center with Asuryan for Asur, Khaine for Druchii, and Isha/Kurnous for Asrai. The Mandala on Malekith's armour is contrasting and bizarre to him as it apparently represents his own subconscious religious preference for the elven gods. He has no memories or current knowledge of the Druchii or Asrai ones, so it's bizarre for him to see Cytharai (Gods of the Mirai or Elven Underworld) ranked so highly in his personal beliefs. Prior to Druchii (which he doesn't remember yet) it was complete taboo or insanity for someone in Ulthuan to openly worship Khaine, Hekarti, or gods like that. Mathlann is one of the few Cytharai gods openly worshipped in Ulthuan. Malekith still believes he's Asur and doesn't understand why certain gods are contrasting opposites ranked so closely. Consider that one who worships Lileath would often be often be merciful whilst a Khaine worshipper is seen as a bloodthirsty psychopath who hates weakness. It's impossible for them to be worshipped or admired in similar significance. Lileath is ranked dead last in the Druchii Mandala at 22 and Khaine is ranked first if that gives you any perspective.

As for why those gods are ranked the way they are for him...a lot of that is circumstantial relevance to how he sees them, their aspects that he embodies, and his connection to their power. Malekith is not very religious, but he's always venerated Asuryan in my opinion. (Maybe not the case in canon, but certainly for this narrative). Even despite being the Witch King, he always aspired to be the Phoenix King, he always admired his father for being Asuryan's champion, and he never truly let go of his desire to earn Asuryan's favor even while championing the Druchii with Khaine. His supposed reverence for Lileath was practically nonexistent as a druchii, but he associates that goddess with Allisara to whom he loved. Lileath is also the wife of Asuryan. It was almost a subconscious admiration for the deity but also brought about by Allisara (a memory we'll see later on). Plus since Lileath saved him and he's blessed by her, he is aligned to her magic now. Khaine's placement is quite obvious…with Malekith being the Witch King and with the Curse of Khaine and all. Hekarti and Hoeth are both ranked highly and closely because Malekith is adept at both Dhar and Qhaysh and he values all magical knowledge. Ereth Khial is ranked last because Malekith was immortal like his mother and never believed he would die. Unlike other druchii, he was the ever present and immortal pillar of order that upheld the Druchii society. It is said that Ereth Khial really wants Malekith's soul though…so hopefully she doesn't find out about his new adventure. He disregards Atharti because pleasure and seduction are things that meant almost nothing to him over the millennia. As usual, this is all AU fanfiction stuff, but that's my reasoning there and why I think it makes sense. It can be debatable for canon, but ultimately it's not that important to the plot anyways. It simply serves to show him personally that he is messed up in the head.

Moving on, our brooding protagonist goes in to fight the beastmen and save some Bretonnian peasants. During his fight he remembers how to use a few more spells, but he ends up blacking out and goes on a killing spree.

In his recollection during this blackout, he remembers that Bel Shanaar is the Phoenix King and he realizes that his father is likely dead. How will this affect him going forward? How will he feel when he realizes he killed Bel Shanaar thousands of years ago? Next chapter we'll get to see his memory about Aenarion's death.

So a fun little addition to this chapter was the lore-inaccurate debut of Repanse De Lyonesse AKA Joan of Arc in Warhammer. Before anyone says anything…yes I know she was dead. The Lady mysteriously brought her back for some reason and she conveniently crosses paths with Malekith. Fanfic logic...and all. What is her great quest and how will things pan out between Malekith and her chevaliers? Where did she get these new chevaliers? What is the Lady of the Lake trying to do with all of this? Stuff to think about…if you're the thinking sort. Main reason I added her in is to spice up Bretonnia a bit. She's one of the coolest human characters in Warhammer. You can expect some Empire characters in this story too. They've sort of grown on me recently and I think it would be funny for Malekith to befriend humans along his journey. There's going to be some major drama when everyone finds out who he is. Like Attack on Titan Season 2 drama...

The end of the chapter is mostly the continuation of Malekith's memory to save Allisara by going into the Annulii mountains with Ariel. They have a few edgy teenage moments along the way, but ultimately squash the beef between them. After getting the sky basilisk glands, Malekith is horrified to find out that his mother was possibly hexing sky basilisks into attacking people...more specifically Allisara herself. In addition to his talk with Ariel, how will all of these indirect memories of his mother shape Malekith's opinion of her later on? Don't expect a warm family reunion is all I can say.

That aside, the interactions between Malekith and Ariel are certainly OOC compared to what you would expect of them in canon. Keep in mind they're both adolescents in this memory and it's long before Ariel becomes the super mage demigod badass that she is. It occurs even prior to them becoming friends and Malekith's eventual journey to the old world. So don't fret if you found her personality childish and bratty. Ariel in the present is far more mature. Although any future reunions might be a bit hostile.

There will be more fun additions as the story progresses. We can expect a certain dwarf at some point, Malekith making some clueless Asur and Asrai friends, a trip to the Empire, and some memories of his time as the Witch King a bit later. Considering he's using his alias Malerion, you can expect him to try and blend in with humans or other elves until he remembers everything. Expect some awesome reveals later on…if you're into that kind of hype and drama. As always, thanks for reading.