Chapter 4: Before They Took Away Our History
A bard played a mournful dirge, using magical amplification to carry her words so that they might spread over the entirety of the two recently united kingdoms. The people needed to be warned, and this was the only way Anika Gust had to do it in the short amount of time she had left.
The kingdom ruled by humans had only united these past six months with its neighbor, who happened to be ruled by elves. And now...only the gods above and perhaps some below knew what would become of either. Hours before the goblin weapon was to be ready to launch, creatures floated across the sea and to this very castle in less than half an hour, leaving dead bodies in their wake. Now the castle was full of the dead as well, only they still breathed, but nothing lived behind their eyes. Her own parents, her loyal servants, her friends, none were themselves anymore. This had all happened in less than an hour. The gray skinned cloaked monsters sucked the life out of all the people they encountered, leaving them staring shells, to Anika's mind worse than dead.
Scrambling for a way to fight, the last vanguard as it were had taken a final stand in king Leonis's throne room to guard the kings to the last. Wands flashed and spells were cast, but they were too badly outnumbered. King Leonis's two enchanters fell first, both of their hands wound around the Elder wand they shared. In the end the fabled treasure could not save Arcus and Livius. The two lovers died together as the wand dropped from their joined hands. Anika was grimly pleased to see that the blonde and dark haired enchanters were hit with the death curse rather than kissed by those monsters. At least their end was fitting, though the tears of grief spilling down her cheeks didn't see it as quite enough of a comfort.
If only the tears blinded her from seeing her husband fall. She wanted to scream out Grym's name, but she had to continue the song before her own time came. She had to pass on her warning and hope someone heard and remembered...that someone would pass this on to future generations.
Grindstone fell next, though he'd at least taken down several of the enemy soldiers first. He was followed by brave little Camilla, desperately fighting to protect her elf king.
As Anika stood singing, the notes of her harp filling the space around her and expanding outward while she wove an eerie melody, she knew she would soon follow. Best get this done fast. Though it couldn't be rushed too much, the notes had to be melodious and full of dire warning that would stick in the mind while remaining haunting. They had to be remembered, after all. Panic gripped her chest, but her voice emerged anyway, clear, high, and flawless.
"In a far away time, in a forgotten place,
A man and an elf are in a deep embrace.
They should know it's against the law!
It must have been before the war...so long before..."
She opened her mouth to sing words of hope, that love was the key to the freedom from this as much as it had been the curse, for this song had to warn generations to follow. This was the far away time and place of which she spoke, and they needed to remember... Future generations needed to remember, but the killing curse struck her in the back before she could complete the warning. The bard gasped, harp falling from her slender hands, red hair falling over her face as she toppled forward to land beside the small form of Camilla.
The elf king Critter and the wizarding king Leonis, were struck down last. Their powerful magic was ineffective against the onslaught. As they fell, they were still embracing as though to shelter one another from what had come...from what they both knew could not be stopped.
The wizarding king had shoulder length black hair, a haughty face and a slender build. He wore a locket who's stone still glowed green with protective magic that had not been enough to save him. The elf king in his arms was somewhat taller than those who would serve wizards after this historically damming day. His nose was hooked, and his expression tight with hatred and rage as his now lifeless eyes glared sightlessly up at those who had struck him down.
Another elf, dressed in finery no future elf slave would ever ever find himself in cowered behind an ornate pillar, long thin fingers tightly clasped as he watched the destruction in horror. Another stone pillar near by crashed to the ground, causing him to start. They were destroying the entire castle! He had to go. He could no longer aid his king because his king lay dead. Grand vizier he had been only this morning, but now he had no title, no king and no castle to call his home. Only death or worse to look forward to. Worse most likely, for the tall hooded figures that floated so eerily just above the ground were only killing wizards and goblins while the elves they managed to capture were restrained, tied, bound and then handed over to the enemy.
No, there was nothing to be done here. All was lost and more than lost. Belle choked on a sob as he turned to flee but a spell most foul gripped him before he could go more than two steps. Looking up at a smiling witch, one word filled his mind to capacity and he spoke it as he felt his very memories slipping away. "Mistress."
The song of the bard quoted here was inspired by Sight and Touch by Chris Deburgh.
Characters in this fic have been Reincarnated and some you might even know.
Grym Gust = Severus Snape
Elf King Critter = Kreacher
British King Leonis = Regulus Black
Goblin King Grindstone = Griphook
Arcus and Livius = Blaise Zabini and Gellert Grindelwald.
OC characters
Camila= Kereston Boxwood
Anika Gust = Magritte WestCraven
Both of whom are in our other fics uploaded here.