A/N: Hi again. Not a very long chapter this time but you can't expect much. This is pretty last-minute.

evildictionaryninja: Thanks for the help. I'm all un-writer's-blocked now.

Calasier Avamela Prologue

Verimir - Chapter 1: Jewels in the Rough

The house was dark and dingy. A wooden door swung limply in the wind from one hinge, half concealed by a dented pillar. It was open enough to allow a small orange light to become visible if one peered through the gap. Not that anyone dared without receiving a punctured eye or worse. The house (or, what the public called a house) was the domain of delinquents and boarding house for passing thieves.

Yet, despite its fearsome reputation, an elf was seen running through the purposefully planted nettles that surrounded it like a wall of sentries, wincing every time he was stung. His ripped clothes provided a failed shield and he came close to tripping over many far-reaching tree roots. He spat and cursed at the blasted plants. Then, just as he thought things couldn't get worse, a shadow sprang from the ground, making him leap back right into them. He paid no heed to the seering pain but drew a broken dagger from his belt, A wraith, he thought, So old members of the gang do haunt the place.

Cackles emerged from within the shadow and it split into three, something falling in a heap between them. Three Fire elves stood above him, laughing, "I like this one!" One roared,

"Yeah, good reactions." A particularly stunted one guffawed, who might have been mistaken for a halfling at a distance,

"And he didn't run away either." The tallest one sneered. All were speaking in English. When not spoken to humans, English was a delinquent's language and all gangs used it amongst themselves, "He passes the test. What do you want, stranger?"

"To join you." Pushing back his hood, he revealed his golden skin and hair, "I am Verimir Moorefield, defected from the Akhohr, come to join you in rebellion against Valivial."

The tallest, whom Verimir supposed was the leader, scoffed, "No need to be so formal. You isn't the Akhohr, y'know!" He turned away and made to walk off. About two steps from him, he turned and aimed a kick that was seen a second before it happened. Despite searing with pain from the nettles, Verimir managed to elude him, aiming a kick in turn at the small one, that was caught off guard and toppled face first into the nettles, "Ooh, I like him a lot." nodded the leader, disregarding his comrade's groans of pain as red lumps appeared on his face, "Alright, rookie, you're in. Now, come on. You need to fix those stings."

Verimir followed them inside, wincing as he put weight on his stung legs. The place was all one room, the ceiling boarded in many places where cracks had started. Abolut half a dozen more grubby-looking elves and a few Drows sat around a metal barrel wherein a small fire burned. They shifted to make room for him and the leader stood at the head of the group,

"Right, we've got a new friend here." Verimir opened his mouth to give his name but was silenced by the leader, "No point us knowing your name. You're Gold Diamond from now on because you're strong. It's not easy to bring down Steel Jasper here." He jerked his head to the stunted one. There was an impressed murmer around the group, confirming this statement, "Right, you lot. This one's really important. He used to be an Akhohr," More impressed murmers, louder than before, permeated the air, "so he's trained to fight. So no funny business or it's to the nettles with you!"

From the uncomfortable shifting around the group, Verimir realised that he wasn't the only one who was nursing nettle stings. In time, he was handed some leaves to rub on his legs and was introduced to the rest of the group. The elves were mostly Fire Elves and all seemed very interested in the obvious Drow blood in him, no matter how weak. Copper Agate was the first to introduce herself. Her hair hung upkempt down her back, the dim firelight making it impossible to tell which colour, partly concealing a quiver of arrows.

Then, Iron Garnet, who simply gave him a long melancholy glare after stating her name. Her hair grew to cover her face but he thought he saw the glimpse of a scar under it. Copper Agate, who seemed to like him best out of all of them, pointed out Silver Jade (the only Water elf with long silver hair, who sat slowly sharpening his dagger, staring determinedly at the fire), Aluminium Topaz (who glared at his ragged Akhohr uniform with distaste in her violet eyes), Bronze Kunsite (who gave him a crooked smile in response to his look; she might have been pretty had her not been so severely burned) and Tin Turquoise (the youngest-looking with an empty left sleeve).

After the elves had been named, the three Drows came forward. They were Lead Malachite (mercilessly scarred and harsh-spoken, he offered his three-fingered hand), Cobalt Opal (the palest of the Drows, who did not speak but merely nodded, her dark lips tightly shut) and Mercury Pearl (who had nothing but dislike in her face). The first three named themselves as the Titanium: Titanium Sapphire (the leader), Titanium Onyx (the smaller one that Verimir had kicked) and Titanium Quartz.

The days were long and lazy in the shack. There was nothing much to do except lie around the fire, sometimes talking, sometimes staring up at the ceiling. Verimir welcomed the change. It gave him time to think things over. He knew he had been right in leaving the Akhohr. He hated being there. The soldiers would never stop bothering him when they were and weren't drunk. He had never wanted to join the Akhohr anyway; he had wanted to become a priest and help the needy rather than blindly kill all manner of creatures for no real reason. He never thought encroaching on terrority was a valid reason.

What he loved about the little place more than anything was that, when you wanted to talk, people would talk. Even those whom he thought did not like him like Mercury Pearl and Aluminium Topaz. Yet, when he was silent, the people around him were silent but for the quiet scrapings of Silver Jade's dagger (he never seemed to stop sharpening it). People would take it in turns to steal food from the market every few days and Copper Agate would go out sometimes to make nettle juice for the others (which he found was quite good to drink despite his misgivings).

No one really was the leader, even though the Titanium had given the impression of leadership on him. They were more sentries than leaders. No one really talked. The order of the place seemed to run without the need for orders or force. Verimir became a little worried that he would not fit in if he did not know the order. He voiced these worries to Copper Agate on the pretence of going out to help her hunt a few wolves for their much-needed pelts. Winter was coming fast,

"I will help you understand it." She said, kindly, as she cut the fur off the flesh with frightening ease, "Your turn will come. Probably when a few of us go out on a Beryl and Emerald." In answer to his bewildered look, she giggled, "We break into a house and steal things that'll come in handy."

"Breaking and entering?"

"You could call it that but we call it a Beryl and Emerald. I'd say," She frowned, thoughtfully, looking up at the sky, "the last one will be a few days from now. We cannot go out in the winter due to the cold. If so, we will all go. Not all together, obviously. That would be far too conspicious. We split up and break into rich houses in all villages nearby. Unless we can sneak a ride on the backs of carts."

She talked as though it was the most natural thing in the world but Verimir was troubled. He did not like the idea of breaking into people's houses but he did not like the rich either. He did not like his wealthy, uptight foster family and none of their friends. He found more people he liked in the poorer villages and would sneak out as often as he could to play with them. Still, he could not help but feel doubts about stealing without a just cause.

Then, the image of the barely-standing shack came to mind. These people were poor and the wealthy always had more than they needed. They could spare a few coats and snow-boots.

A/N: So, how was that?