The Svaltalfar.
"Scor… Wake up! I… can't lose you again! Please… you're my family. Please don't leave me… I… I… love you…"
I couldn't breathe. Scor… he had to be alright. I didn't know what to do. I started to sob, cursing my own weakness and fear. We were still only children. How could this be happening?
"All this noise from such a little creature. You should be silent, lest you waken that which slumbers here."
I jumped up from the collapsed Scorpius, grabbing his wand in preparation to fight whatever had spoken. The voice had been soft and lyrical, but down here in the gloom, anything could be dangerous. I wasn't going to take a chance with Scorpius's life.
My eyes had already grown accustomed to the darkness, allowing me to see clearly with what little light the surrounding fungi produced. I beheld in front of me a grey skinned youth with long flowing hair as white as snow. Around his waist was wound an intricately knotted belt that held a jeweled scabbard and sword in its tender embrace. In his hand was a magnificent wand carved of resplendent knotted wood with a handle laden with colorful jewels and glowing enamel designs. My eyes shot from him to the equally imposing figures at each of his sides.
There stood next to him two blue skinned woman garbed in short gold and black cloaks that tumbled in folds from their shoulders. Both carried spears as tall as their male companion and kept their long white hair up in a cascade of braided loops. They were unmistakably warriors.
However, despite their leaders obvious curiosity, they wore sinister expressions that brokered no room for misinterpretation. They would have killed me without hesitation if they found cause to.
I returned my attention to their leader as he examined me. The young darkling was shirtless, wearing but a few lightly armored pieces to cover himself and his arms. Upon his brow however rested a crown of silver starlight that shone and shimmered wildly. I didn't have time to be shocked. I had to save Scor. I had to make sure they wouldn't kill us. I broke out immediately in the ancient language I'd been taught in the depths of the ministry. It was the only hope we had. I just knew. Vivian…
"Svaltalfar! Furst ilim dath vol. Vol gwao hi. Anwe gwineth hildriam, galifre anwe doth flaedthrist durrthir. Anwe vokethi drath. Galifre, nin-ubtherin silithre, anwe gobthor drath, dun valthir dagor hen oo-erir ortheri." (Svaltalfar! Leave us in peace, leave us at once. I may look young but I am of the strongest of my race. I do not wish to fight you. But, if you do not obey, I will fight, and you will not be able to withstand me.)
Laughter rang out from the shadows as more dark elves appeared from their depths. They had seemingly emerged from within the blackened trees that made up the forest surrounding the clearing. Despite my horror I could not help but be enraptured by this encounter. I noticed that each darkling had a slightly different hue to their skin. While some were dark blue, and others grey, yet more had skin as black as midnight, indistinguishable from the darkness surrounding us. Only their silvery irises shone against the blackness, riddling the scene with twinkling silver stars. Many wore only enough material to cover their nakedness while others wore thick armor or fine clothing bound and twisted in patterns that covered their entire body. One pair, a male and female, bore no clothing at all, yet their skin was covered in luminescent silver paint that seemed to ripple in the shrouded night. But for all of their adornments—or lack thereof—none save the youth that had first approached me wore a crown. Their laughter was the most frightening. One did not laugh at something one did not fear. And in legend, the Svaltalfar revered courage and valiance above all things. Strength and wisdom were everything. I needed to be fearless.
"Anwe kthol fi valar doth Svaltalfar. Anwe kthol-en, galifre Anwiel valthir drath. Ben-anweil-thig. Kthol-I-ven, Abwileth doth Alfa castrien anwe Furnst-lingon. Limdil anwe kthol sim vagnir doth lyr agwainarr. Anwe lyl Liliel thim Yol. Anwe garthil vol, cirith zem til, anwethin daged thaer. Nathil anwe silthrim vos!"
That got their attention. Those who were still laughing ceased, and those who thought to laugh again scowled instead at my words. The crowned youth stepped forward then with a serious expression, approaching me with grave concern. It was very strange to use out loud the language Vivian had taught me in secret. (I know of the strength of your people. I know it well, yet I would still fight you all. For I must. Know that a member of the Alfa names me fontling. I know that this title is a thing of strength. I am light and fire. If you touch him, I will kill you all. This I promise you!)
"What manner of creature are you to speak thus? I remarked in your native tongue, yet you return your speech in mine? So very strange, and perhaps discourteous too. But, youngling, you should know, we would hardly call Vivian le Fae a member of our species. Despite your assumptions and rudeness, I must however commend you on your proficiency in the Alfic tongue. You were taught well. Faeric is old and hard to speak correctly. Especially for your kind."
"I asked you to leave. I must save my friend. I know of your kind and its darkness. I will not let you harm him. Gwao-hi! (Leave now) or face my wrath!"
"You should not speak so discourteously! Insolent human! You know not to whom you speak!" Cried one of the blue skinned warriors that flanked the youth. I may not have known his name, but i had guessed at his identity.
"I know exactly to whom I speak. I speak to the prince of the Svaltalfar. Know that I am stronger than your prince. Stronger than your king, and his father, and his before him. Do not test me. I am stronger than your strongest spellweavers. I have no quarrel with you, I ask only that you leave me in peace." I looked down at Scor… he wasn't moving. I was so frightened for him. But I knew the dark elves respected strength and courage. I had to appear strong. It was difficult when he was so injured.
"Insolent whelp. We will spill blood for your rudeness!"
"Kathriel! Geerenim!" (Kathriel silence!) the prince yelled at his guard. "I apologize for Kathriel. You should however not boast too highly, we may take undue offense where none was meant. There is a fine line between courage and madness. You are afraid. You are young, tired and lost, surrounded by members of a race you have been taught to fear. I understand your desire to appear strong."
"I am afraid, but that doesn't mean I am not strong. True courage comes only when you face your fears. Such fearlessness without caution is the madness of which you speak. But I have reason for my confidence." I raised my hand then, showing him and all the rest the exotic nightfyre crystal on my finger. The darkling's eyes widened in shock as whispers erupted among the various watchers. Some even bowed in reverence before the ancient gem. Others broke into tears and yet others knelt low to the ground. The two naked darklings stared transfixed as their tattoos shifted and danced along their skin. Not much was known about the origin of the seven crystals. The nightfyre were one of those most shrouded in myth and mystery. The most we knew about them was that they were revered by the dark alfa and conferred enormous magical strength to the wearer. It was speculated that Cadmus Peverell had made the resurrection stone from a refined version of such a crystal. It did not go unnoticed by me, that at the center of the prince's silver crown rested a dark swirling mass of shadowy purple, the same as mine. He had one of his own.
"Allow me to introduce myself then Kthurst (Prince), I am the son of Taur our King, he who spends the last of his life in silent contemplation before the dark tree." He paused then to consider Scorpius… he seemed genuinely concerned.
His facial expressions were so different from what I was used to that it was strange to engage with him. Added to the fact that I felt compelled to use his own alien tongue over mine made the encounter all the more strange.
"I would speak with you alone. Vol Gwao hi! Turnin vel-elion nin-ith. Gath firnen Kthurst habthiri lim lethiri blod doth Alfakin. Vol gawo hi." (All of you go now. They are intruders no more, he is a prince and his friend is Alfa blood. You are to leave me with them.)
At his words the dark elves vanished as easily as they'd appeared. Many stepped backwards into the darkness, closing their silvery eyes to become almost invisible. They had all but faded like mist in the blackness. A weight lifted as I realized we were safe from attack, but my relief was short lived. My heart had skipped a beat when Scorpius began shaking in my arms. I still did not know how to heal him and he was fading faster than I cared to admit.
"I apologize for my rudeness earlier… I just… I need to save him. He's my best friend. Like my brother."
"Gan ith estel hyrm? (You love him?)
"I… I… should not love him… but I…"
"Wodtheri, gan-istar-nedt." (Of course you do/ silly of me, it shows on your face.)
"What do I do?"
"Simple. Gan zil freyth hyrm." (You must save him.)
"Galifre gknob? Anwe nin-kthol fyr. Anwe nin-vandri iet seti. Vandri-hyrst… ubedthyr-wa-in, galifre… nin-en volti." (But how? I don't know what to do/ the way to. I don't even have a wand. His wand… obeys… but…its not the same…)
"The language of my brethren. The light speech is sacred even to us. You know it too don't you?"
"Yes" I whimpered, starting to cry. Scor was getting cold and the blood was still flowing from him. I couldn't tell where it was coming from. He was gurgling now.
"Then sing to him in the language of light. Not our dark version that you speak so well. Sing to him of how much substance he has, of the nature of his light, sing of the… the… energy? Yes energy. The… power… he exudes over the living realm. Do that… and he will be saved. He is Alfa-kin or at least as close to our kind as the lost wanderer Vivian. It should work." With that he handed me his wand, a gesture beyond expectation. It was magnanimity of unthinkable, no, incomparable scale. I could tell it was a treasure beyond any value in the form of currency.
"Thank you Kthurst (Prince). I will not ever forget this."
"Silvarion. My name is Silvarion. And see that you do not. Our paths may yet cross again. If they do I will also remember. Of your strength and courage. Of your knowledge… and… that you are a creature of the fonts." With that he vanished into the woods, leaving me a startled mess. Before I returned my attention to Scor I heard a soft warning whisper echo back through the trees. The last words I would hear from the prince for years to come. "Be careful of this place Peverel boy. There is darkness throughout these woods that you are not ready to face. Be careful too of the path within the stone. It will take you past the throne of your people. Be wary of all that is down here. I have only the power to keep my kind from harming you, yet there are things in this forest that even I fear to face."
So it was that I started to sing, forgetting his warning words and pouring all of myself into the lyrics that might save Scor's life. I thought of light, starlight and moonlight, water flowing, his smile. I sang of many things beyond counting, weaving in place an image of Scorpius that I had constructed in my mind.
"Please Scor. Don't die. I need you. I don't think I could make it without you. It would be like trying to live without the sun… whatever you do, you can't leave me yet… I won't let you."
There is a bonus chapter that will be uploaded by tuesday. If you guys review enough the next Al x Scor chapter should be up by thursday or friday.
Hope you're enjoying. If the story is diverging too far away from the HP universe, i apologize. Technically everything is canon because i adhere to what was STRICTLY outlined by JKR, i'm just expounding on the foundation. (Well, expounding significantly on the foundation) (Also I have a quarter norse in me, so thats why i'm including the elves closer to how they appear in mythology.) When Al and Scor manage to get back above ground things shouldn't seem as crazy or drastically different. I'm writing as though much of magical history was lost and buried long ago. Anyway hope everyone is well.)
(Oh and in case anyone was wondering, the language that i'm using is a composite of words and sounds from Sindarin, (LOTR); Old Valyrian, (ASOIAF); a fusion of Icelandic, Norwegian and Finish. The grammar is more similar to english with some Tolkein-ish elvish thrown in.)
