Of Elves and Airships

Sana-Lynn Atha raised her ashen staff, and a sudden radiant burst of pure white light exploded from it, filling the corridor. The last group of shrouded dark elf assassins went into silent throes of agony, dropping their scimitar and writhing in pain before the other three Light Warriors finished them off.

The blond girl then lowered her staff, taking in all that had happened before her. She stood in one of Castle Cornelia's many white stone corridors, the high walls lined with rich tapestries with niches here and there where bejeweled suits of armor stood as silent sentries...

But the luxury and opulence was marred by the death that the dark elf invaders had wrought on the servants and castle guards. Their bodies lay everywhere, and even though the bodies of their murders now joined them, Sana considered it no consolation at all.

The girl stood now in her robes, covered over by the cloak of the Order of the White Staff, all sturdy white wool but for the red triangles bordered along the hem. As a Priestess of the Order, she bowed her head before the innocent fallen and said a prayer to the gods on their behalf.

Valor Loftlan, now fully armored in his plain half-plate, pulled his bastard sword from the torso of a dead elf, wiping the blade off on the corpse. He stood and looked at her, his strong face wholly grim as his sapphire gaze pulled away to sweep across the breadth of the fallen.

Gantz was some ways from him. The shorter leaner young man, clad in black, was wiping off his knives before sheathing them at his sides. He seemed uncharacteristically subdued to Sana.

So did Robin. The shrouded black mage had said little since Sana had healed her of the ghoul's poison. Robin had displayed a chilly rage after she had acquired the poison's power, adding it to her repertoire of nefarious magic, which Sana still did not trust. Since leaving the Great Hall with what was left of the Guard to scour the rest of the castle of dark elves, Robin had said absolutely nothing. She stood now, off from the others, her electric blue runes glowing about her like the nimbus of a storm. Her black robes and the rim of her peaked hat were tattered and singed. What lone trial had she undergone to acquire that damage?

Gantz suddenly kicked at an elf corpse before going up to Valor and folding his arms angrily. "I gotta say it, blue blood. We let our guards down and these people paid for it."

Sana-Lynn came closer to the two of them, but did not speak. The glare Valor gave the thief was hard and terrifying, but Gantz stood his ground, glaring back. Valor had a good half-foot of height on the thief, but Gantz just folded his arms stubbornly. They were quite a contrast, Sana realized. The thief was lean as a wolf, with tilted brown eyes and hawkish features. He wore dark leather armor over black clothing. Valor was tall and fair, powerfully built and fully armored. His once brown hair was streaked with more silver highlights than ever, almost to the point of being more white than brown.

Yet Valor gave a step back, and a sudden exhaustion overcame him. To Gantz obvious surprise, he collapsed to one knee, and let out a sigh that rumbled through the hall like an avalanche. "You are right, thief, more right than I would ever want to admit, but right nonetheless. We are the Chosen of the Crystals and we had not realized that to the capacity that we should have, and it has cost many innocent lives. The kingdom is weaker than ever." He pounded an armored fist into the floor so hard that it cracked.

Suddenly, Sana got an almost overwhelming impression of despair that filled the corridor. The Veil of Darkness was working on her companions through their feelings of failure. She shook her head and took a step forward. "We are the light of this world. We are its hope. As long as we stand, there is hope still. So please, Valor... you must stand."

He looked up at her, his lost gaze suddenly solidifying. He nodded sharply, and stood. "This will never happen again. Until the Crystals light the world once more, I will be nothing but vigilant. My parents gave their lives to bequeath me this duty. Vigilance is what I must be now. Thank you, Sana-Lynn."

She gave a small smile and nod before Guard-Captain Marcus rounded the corridor and came down, flanked by half a dozen subordinates. He had a decidedly angry look on his face, but not for the Light Warriors. No, Sana knew it was for the vile treachery of Baigan. The Guard-Captain removed his gold helm and bowed before Valor with fist to chest. "Lord-Captain Loftlan, we have found the King. The treacherous elves apparently arrested him in his room. He still lives, but is very weak. They gave him some kind of slow-acting poison, though the Headmaster of the White Staff has purged him of it. Also, there is an elf in the King's sitting chamber that claims she had come to the aid of the King. I wanted to detain her, but His Majesty ordered me to leave her be."

"Another elf?" Valor said incredulously.

Gantz stepped in. "Does she wear furs and have a bunch of dangerous animals with her?"

Marcus looked at him. "Yes, that is her, Master Gantz. Do you know of her?"

Gantz frowned at the title. "More than I'd like, unfortunately. She almost puts you nobles to shame in being uppity, but she saved my hide so I let it be. Anyway, her name is Selena of the Glade and she says she's a light elf. She also has some kind of grudge with the dark elves."

Sana nodded. "The elves were once one unified people. The legends provide little detail, but a faction of elves who wished to depose the Archdruid and install their own regime brought about some great coup. The leader of this coup was a male elf. This was absolutely abhorrent to a strongly matriarchal society and so a civil war broke out that essentially sundered the elves into two factions. I know little more except that the losers of this conflict became known as dark elves, and that the dark elf survivors were driven into exile. Also, the elves always practiced a type of primal sorcery called Druidism of which we know practically nothing. The light elves still follow this path but the dark elves developed something known only as gray magic, said to be a debasement of natural energies just slightly less vile than black magic."

"So, still spouting your ignorance for all to hear." Robin interjected heatedly.

Sana could not help lifting her chin as the shorter girl came up. Robin gripped her charred rod in two hands as always, everything of her countenance utterly concealed by the black mask, and stiff high collar of her tattered robes. Only her eyes shown through, glowing fiercely from under the tattered brim of her peaked hat. "The dark elves only wished to have their own ideals recognized as legitimate by the established hierarchy. They wanted to sit a male elf at the head of their clan, but the Archdruid and her priestesses wouldn't even consider it. In fact, they violently opposed such a thing and started the civil war all because of their rigid intolerance! After the war, they cursed the dark elf remnants and drove them from their homeland! It seems to be a story that has happened more than once during history," she finished angrily.

Unbidden anger flared as Sana clenched her jaw, ready to retort, but Valor sheathed his sword quickly, stepping between the two mages and putting up his hands. "We do not have time for another arguement between you two. We must meet with the King."

Sana-Lynn realized the foolishness of her actions quickly and lowered her head with a sigh. "Of course, Valor, you are correct. This is no time to bicker about the past. I apologize to you, Robin."

"As well you should, lesser mage! Now let us be on with this!" She suddenly stalked passed the Guard-Captain, Marcus and his men watching her warily.

Gantz gave a mirthless laugh. "Well, she's back to her delightful old self. Honestly, I don't know how you all can move around here with whole bloody arsenals up your bung-chutes, but hey, were all doomed anyway, so why not?" He took off around the corner as well.

Sana had heard the pure frustration in Gantz's voice, but Valor's angry growl was still expected. The white mage only sighed again.

Afterward, Valor ordered the Guard to see to the bodies in the corridor before he took off towards the king's chamber as well. Sana followed at a respectful distance. She felt sadness and frustration warring inside of Valor, but decided to say nothing in an effort to console him. Nothing came to mind in any case. She only wished Robin would stop spouting such vile nonsense, but she figured that was not possible. So, Sana kept her own council and followed in Valor's agitated wake, using her staff as a walking stick. Its rhythmic click upon the tiled floor was somewhat reassuring.

Honestly, Sana would have been lost in this place, but Valor seemed to know where he was going. Following him took her swiftly passed all the opulence of the castle's corridors and to a pair of double doors opened outward. Flanked by gold armored guards that saluted at Valor's approach, Sana followed the Chosen of Earth though the doors into a truly magnificent bedchamber. King Highland lay in his massive four-posted bed, the silk curtains drawn back so that he could converse with Chancellor Breen. Other guards were stationed about the room for added security, and a number of nobles clustered in small groups, conversing quietly. Sana recognized only the one nobleman called Oster, whom she had not officially met yet. Headmaster Dalton was also present, standing on the other side of the bed from the Chancellor. He gave Sana a quick smile.

Valor went up to the bedside, and Breen quickly made way for him. The king sat up more fully, resting upon the great-carved backboard of his lavish bed. He was pale and wan, his shoulder-length brown hair showing more gray than Sana had remembered seeing on him just days before. He might have seemed utterly exhausted, but for the fierce energy in his dark eyes.

Sana stood just to Valor's right flank as she entered. She immediately heard the concern in his voice as he spoke to the King. "Cousin, are you going to be all right?"

"Thanks to white magic, boy, do not worry. I have an idea of our losses, and of course, I have heard the story of the Battle for the Hall. The Light Warriors do not disappoint."

"It was one small victory, cousin, but a greater failure," Valor announced in a pained voice.

The sick man reached over, putting a hand on Valor's shoulder. "You yet live, Valor, you and the others. All hope is not gone." He retracted his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Though it is greatly diminished. I had hoped one night of feasting would have raised the morale of the city, so I could use such to begin to rebuild. To feast the Light Warriors and then send them off with great fanfare would have done such a thing, but I only delayed you all from your journey and caused more suffering. No, boy, this is not your failure, it is mine."

Dalton spoke from his side of the bed. "No such talk, now, Majesty. You need food and at least ten solid hours of bed rest before you will be able to receive petitioners again."

The King sighed. "I am bed-ridden, my friend, that will have to do. I have too much on my platter to delay any longer. We must secure the city fully, and then work on getting aid to the pockets."

Sana leaned in closer. "What about the northern provinces, umm... Majesty?"

The King almost seemed like he wasn't going to answer. He seemed sicker and older than ever Sana-Lynn had seen him. "Word of a vast goblin horde approaching from the north has been brought by half-a-dozen couriers who risked rides on airships to get word here as quickly as possible in hope of aid. I have nothing to give them, Valor, except news that our entire army has been wiped out. This is the advent of the Third Goblin War, boy, but we have no forces to fight the goblins and their troll allies this time. Still, I will do what I can."

Valor clenched his jaw, his voice iron. "We four will fight this new goblin army by ourselves. You focus on rebuilding the kingdom."

Despite his royal position, the King gaped. "You cannot be serious? Yes, the Light Warriors are legendary, but legends alone cannot fight an entire army, Valor. They could be anything from ten thousand to thirty thousand strong as the reports go. Such an idea is madness."

The numbers shocked Sana, but Valor only shook his head. "No more than ten thousand, perhaps a few hundred more. Goblin warbands easily become unstable when more than a few tribes get together and would collapse into infighting. It would take an exceptional warlord to hold even ten thousand together."

Sana spoke up. "But ten thousand against four, Valor? Not even in oldest legend have the Light Warriors stood against that many by themselves."

Valor half-turned toward her. "You heard the King, Sana, we are making new legends all ready. This will simply have to be one of them. Now please, leave the King and me to discuss these matters. If you would, go to the sitting room and see this elf that the bastard thief spoke of earlier. I will rely on you for any important information she brings as I doubt either Gantz or Robin will give me straight answers."

Sana did not wish to leave, but simply nodded and did so. Dalton gave her a reassuring nod from his side of the bed before she went. The small clusters of nobles gave her several questioning looks as she passed from the spacious bedchamber to the adjacent sitting room. Also large and lavish, the girl took a glass of white wine from a servant and sipped at it before stopping just inside the entrance of the room. More clusters of nobles, some of them in armor, which she figured marked them as knights.

Quickly, against the far wall, Sana spotted black-clad Gantz leaning with arms folded. A tall woman in a strange outfit of rough hides and a ram-horned headdress stood near him. Sana couldn't hear their conversation, but Gantz was grinning while the woman looked exasperated.

As she came closer, Sana noticed the slits in the woman's headdress, and her pointed ears. Ah, so this was the light elf. Many of the human nobles in the room glanced suspiciously at the elf, but she effected not to notice. She seemed rather aloof and haughty, but Sana could sense anxiety under that facade.

The white mage came up to the two and gave a short bow to the light elf, cupping her hands as if she were about to bring up a drink from a fountain, and then moving those hands toward the elf, as if to offer the drink in her hands to the other.

"Ah, so I see you humans are not utterly ignorant of our ways," the elf woman announced.

"I just thought you were gonna sneeze," Gantz said lazily, picking at his teeth with a toothpick.

Despite herself, Sana giggled at Gantz's manner to which he replied with a grin.

The elf woman sighed, but turned and offered the same gesture back to Sana. "So as the water's of our people are shared, so shall we share blood in battle on the Final Night."

Gantz flicked the toothpick away. "Whoa, that's a bit dark. Well, little miss elf, I'll leave you here with miss priss, I have to go steal another one of those five meat sandwiches. Might as well eat like a bloody king while I still have the stomach for it."

Sana giggled again. "You know, Gantz, they will most likely give you one if you just ask."

He burped. "Yeah, most likely, but what bloody fun is that?" Then he pushed off the wall and was gone.

The elf shook her head after him. "That human is... unique," she said distastefully.

Sana-Lynn gave the elf a polite bow. "So, you are the light elf, Selena of the Glade. Are you the Seed of your Cluster, or is that held by a Priestess of the Oak only?"

The elf woman stared at her for moments, her aquamarine eyes narrowing. She fingered the handle of the whip that was wrapped about herself like a serpent. "So you know something of our organization as well. I had not thought humans remembered such things. No others I've encountered have so far."

"I am Sana-Lynn Atha, a Priestess of the Order of the White Staff, one of those who have kept the Halls of Legend in tact from ancient times. Some of us still remember details of the old war with Chaos some five thousand years ago. The elves aided the human nations during the Grand Alliance, though all those ancient nations are gone, and you elves are a divided people now."

The elf frowned. "Well, you have some of it right, I suppose that is mildly impressive."

Sana let that slide without a flicker. "I am also the Chosen of Water, Selena of the Glade. I know water and earth are very important elements in your society. It has something to do with your magic, but we aren't certain what."

The elf huffed. "Do not expect that to change anytime soon, human."

Undaunted, Sana just gripped her staff before her. She was actually excited. Elves were mysterious creatures. They lived in the forbidden lands on the other side of the world. They had had barely any contact with humans in thousands of years. "Please, I must know, are men allowed to fight in your society?"

"Of course, human. They make up the Rangers, archers and hunters without comparison. However, they are not capable of wielding the Seed, and do not take part in Clusters. Besides, a male that could wield the Seed would be an abomination..." Her fists suddenly clenched at her sides. "A thing to bring blight and death."

"Ah, I see."

"Do you truly, human? Please, finish your questions so that I may conclude my business here and rejoin my companions outside. I am getting sick of this gaudy place."

"Very well, why have you come to these lands, so far from your home?"

"To hunt down a traitor. For that I needed to find the Chosen of Wind. In a way I have not yet discovered, he will aid me in finishing my duty in this land. Afterward, I will return to my home."

Intrigued, Sana grasped another glass of wine from a passing servant and drained it in one gulp. "So, Gantz is supposed to help you find this traitor?"

"Perhaps, or perhaps he will aid me in dispatching the fool. I never thought I would be working with such an uncouth child, as this Gantz creature seems to be. Unfortunately, I have little choice one way or the other. Anyhow, where is your Chosen of Fire? She is the only one I have not seen so far."

"Do you have business with her as well?"

"I do not, but I wish to see all the Chosen with my own eyes. We were hoping that at least one of our people would be Chosen of the Crystals, but apparently that is not the case. That four human children were Chosen is rather mysterious to us, yet what can we do?"

Sana shrugged off-handedly. "The Crystals work in mysterious ways." She took another wine glass from a passing servant. "My, this is delicious." She swallowed it, her face strangely hot all of the sudden.

The elf woman frowned down at her with a shake of her head. "Anyhow, a good night to you, Chosen of Water. Please remember that you are a hope for this world. Try to act in accordance with that... from the morrow on."

"I shall," Sana said happily, suddenly hungry. Strangely, her head felt kind of heavy on her shoulders, but she knew another glass of wine would clear that right up.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

The King nodded, still looking rather drawn as he sat up in bed. "Of course, an airship would be the fastest way to get you to the north where you and whatever forces you can gather will face the goblin horde. However, with airships falling out of the sky seemingly at random, you cannot risk riding on one."

Valor nodded, an armored hand to his chin. "What do you know of this catastrophe with the airship's, cousin?"

"Well, it has only stunted trade a trifle, since most people don't charter airships because of the relative expense as opposed to buying space on a conventional ship or caravan. Relatively new, airships have only been used in a commercial capacity for about a decade. Before that, they were merely weapons of war. The Second Goblin War that your father and I fought in would have gone much differently if it weren't for the Skyborne Guild and their crews. Still, why the ships are falling out of the sky, I have little word on the matter. The guild keeps its secrets very close, and even royal authority can only get me so far with them." He paused to cough several times. "However, I have managed a correspondence with one of the guildmasters, and he informs me that there is one engineer that may be able to help the Light Warriors with some alternate form of transportation, though he has fallen rather far out of favor with the rest of the guild."

Valor nodded. "I see, and who is this engineer?"

The King looked over. "Well, he is something a friend of mine though we've not spoken in ages. I will send with you a royal dispatch telling him that he is to aid you even if it would divulge secrets of the guild. You are the Light Warriors, nothing must interfere with your quest."

"And he lives in the north?"

"Not precisely, boy. His estate is about three days north of Cornelia."

The Chosen of Earth folded his arms. "Very well, cousin, anything else I should know?"

"Oh yes, boy, his name. It is Rumsley... Count Cidolphus Rumsley."