A/N- I have no idea if my portrayal of elf-magic is accurate. I did research, but I couldn't find anything useful so I'm using ideas that I had read in books. And yes, I did read the Eragon books which is where I got the name, Arya, from. Review! -Phoenix
Harry shifted uneasily as Hermione talked about her friend, Liam, with great admiration. He had been less than thrilled about the fact that she had to live with the guy, and it didn't help that Hermione spent literally her whole summer with him right by her side.
Sensing her fiancée's jealousy, Hermione turned her head and kissed Harry gently on the lips.
"Don't feel jealous of Liam," she said. "There's only you."
That made Harry feel better, but not much. "I don't see why you couldn't have a female roommate," he grumbled.
Hermione giggled. "Oh, but that wouldn't have been as interesting. Don't forget, Liam saved my butt quite a bit. He's my best friend from Tel'Ranaemyn. I spent more time with him than I did with Ivy. She spent her days with Queen Arya. I would leave her with her in the morning, and take her home at night."
Luna, who had been quiet so far, couldn't help but ask. "There was a minotaur in the woods where you lived? Isn't that a bit dangerous to just have you and Liam living there then?"
"Not just one minotaur," Hermione said. "There is a large number of them in the woods. They don't usually attack the elves, but occasionally they get…determined."
"How many of those things did you fight?" Neville asked, impressed.
Hermione bit her lip as she thought. "With Liam? Five. By myself? One."
"You took down a minotaur on your own?" Harry gasped. "You said that Liam couldn't even do that."
"That's further along in my story," Hermione responded. "After Queen Arya commanded that we take it easy a couple days, we went right back to training. While Liam was still tough, he wasn't as…rough around the edges. Combat had brought us close together, as friends," she said, directing the friends comment to Harry. "About a month into my training, Queen Arya started putting Liam and I on border patrols to stop any minotaurs from colonizing around our borders."
Hermione took a hearty sip from her water bottle as she took a break with Liam and another elf standing guard. She nodded politely as another elf on their patrol, Ronan, tried to flirt with her. It wasn't an unusual occurrence ever since she and Liam had taken down a minotaur. Apparently most of the single elves wanted their champion as their bond-mate. And the fact that Hermione was taken didn't stop their attempts.
"Queen Arya said that I am bound to be made Captain in the future," Ronan bragged. "I am quite the warrior."
"That's very exciting for you," Hermione said politely. Seeing Liam trying to hide a snigger from his position, Hermione stood up and stretched. "Excuse me."
She walked over to her friend and stood next to him. "I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself," she commented.
Liam grinned at her. "But of course," he said cheerfully. "You know I always find it amusing when one of the guys are trying to claim you. You're too polite to tell them to shove off and that encourages them to keep coming back."
Hermione laughed and gently nudged her friend. "Like you don't have anyone looking for your affections," she teased. "I've seen the way the women look at you when we're in the village."
Liam coughed uncomfortably. "Shouldn't you be resting? Your frail human body needs its rest."
Hermione rolled her eyes at Liam's overused joke. "Yes, yes," she said sarcastically. "Elves are amazing while humans are weak, so you've told me," she finished with a smile. "But, you have to admit that I'm coming along nicely."
"You are," Liam agreed with a smile. "I haven't forgotten how you took down two of those raiders a week ago."
"Tel'Ranaemyn is my home too," she responded. "I'll fight to protect it and everyone who lives here. Even those who won't stop flirting with me," she added with a mischievous smirk.
After a few more minutes of rest, Liam led the patrol over the rest of the border. The forest that they lived in, though Hermione still had no idea where it was, was home to an abundance of magical creatures. Those creatures that shared Tel'Ranaemyn's borders would on occasion try to raid their territory. Annual border patrols helped to discourage these raids.
Hermione was walking next to Liam, laughing about something when all the elves stopped short and gripped their swords. Following suit, Hermione took her bow off of her back and put an arrow to it.
"What is it?" she asked in a whisper, wishing not for the first time that she had the elves' sensitive hearing.
Liam unsheathed his sword and crouched protectively in front of Hermione. "There's a stirring," he whispered back. "Stay close."
Hermione nodded, knowing by now that there was no point in telling Liam that she could protect herself.
A loud screech sounded overhead and Hermione gasped as a manticore flew over their heads, narrowly missing their heads.
"You have manticores too?" she complained. "I'm never going to figure out where this forest is if every magical creature from all over the world lives in it!"
Liam laughed and pushed Hermione further behind him as the manticore came back for another attack. It swiped at one elf who ducked and jabbed at the paw with his sword.
The manticore roared fiercely and jabbed its tail at another elf. The elf parried the blow, barely, and fell to the ground.
Hermione aimed her bow at the manticore and filled her arrow with her elf-magic.
She had learned, after the minotaur attack, how to fill her arrow with magic in order to do more damage. The essence of elf magic was that everything was connected and alive. Everything from the ground under her boots, to the bow in her hand had a breath. The arrow that she aimed to fire was alive as well, and if coaxed properly would be all too willing to accept some magic to make itself stronger.
When the arrow couldn't take anymore magic, Hermione let it go. The arrow glowed a vibrant green and embedded itself in the manticore's wing. The manticore roared in pain and dove down to attack her.
"Bugger," Hermione gasped. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain of being mauled by a manticore, but it never came.
Cautiously, Hermione opened her eyes and gasped in horror at the sight in front of her.
Liam had intercepted the manticore's attack and now sported a long spine sticking out of his shoulder. He took the spine out of his shoulder and fell to the ground with a shudder.
"Liam!" she cried out.
While Hermione tended to Liam and tried to slow the poison that was now running through his veins, the rest of the patrol attacked the manticore mercilessly. But, Hermione paid them no heed. She had to save her protector.
With one hand on the ground and the other on Liam's wound, she called on the earth for the magic that she needed. She used her magic to pull the poison out of Liam's body and tossed the poison to the ground where the magic of the earth absorbed it and neutralized it.
"Stay still," Hermione ordered as Liam started to squirm. "I can't heal you if you're refusing to sit still!"
Liam groaned and tried to push himself up anyway. "I can't lie down on the job when there's a manticore attacking my patrol."
Hermione sighed and forced more magic into Liam's shoulder, healing it quicker than she normally would with a wound. Once the shoulder was closed, Hermione took in a shuddering breath to fight off the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her.
Liam squeezed her hand in appreciation and got to his feet. "Stay low," he instructed. "And for once, please just listen to me."
Hermione pouted and nodded. "Fine, but don't think that I won't hesitate to step in if you need help."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Liam said with a smile.
Working together flawlessly, the patrol managed to defeat the manticore with no serious injuries. Liam showed Hermione how to harvest certain parts of the manticore, saying that the essence was gone and the body was their prize for their victory. They took the poisonous tail, the wings, and the claws. After they had everything they wanted, they respectfully buried the body and went to finish the patrol.
They went back to the mountain where they reported to Queen Arya herself. She was pleased that none of her elves were harmed, but was sorry for the loss of the manticore's life. Their burdens were taken from them and Hermione was left alone with Arya, Ivy, and Liam.
"You are quite the magnet for trouble, young one," Arya said in amusement. "Liam, how was she in a combat situation with a patrol?"
Liam bowed respectfully. "Your Grace, she was level-headed and crippled the manticore's flight with one of her arrows. She then saved my life by taking care of me when I was poisoned in the middle of the battlefield."
Arya nodded. "And her forging? How is that coming along?"
"Her fingers are not quite nimble enough to work the forge properly," Liam said slowly. "She understands the principals of it and has assisted in creating bolts and such, but has not been able to create any blades. But, she can sing to the blades that have already been created and I feel that she will be able to forge her own deadly blade one day."
Hermione smiled at Liam's praise. She could sing to the blades and they welcomed her magic. Singing was one of the ways that the elves used magic to strengthen something. An elf could sing to a blade in the forge or to a tree before using it to create a bow. Her problem was that while she had no problem singing to weapons and making them stronger, she couldn't create her own.
"I am sorry to disappoint you, My Lady," Hermione said with a bow. "I feel that I have let you down. I have been here for over a month and I feel as if I am not making enough progress."
Arya smiled kindly. "My dear, you have progressed more than you know. I did not expect you to be a perfect warrior in the short amount of time that we have. Considering we really only had a little over three months to train you to begin with, I am quite pleased with you. You need to return to your friends when the school year begins. For now, I want you to focus on your training and not to worry about the time restraint. You have my word, young one, that you will leave Tel'Ranaemyn fully capable of elf ways. And I am not one to break my word."
She exchanged a glance with Liam who looked less than pleased, but neither said anything. After bidding farewell and collecting Ivy, the group went back home, ready for a good night's sleep.
Harry listened intently as Hermione continued her tale. His jealousy of Liam was still there, but he couldn't complain after the guy had saved his love from both a minotaur and a manticore attack.
"Tel'Ranaemyn sounds like a rough place to live," Neville commented, his tongue stumbling slightly over the name.
Hermione nodded. "I still have no idea where it is," she admitted. "It felt like every magical creature in existence lived there. There was a small colony of giants beyond the mountains. They left us alone though."
"How did you finish a lifetime's worth of training in under four months?" Fay asked. "You said that training takes years, not that I'm complaining to have you back sooner than that."
"I'm getting to that," Hermione said. "That's also the answer to the question that you all have been dying to ask. What the hell happened to my eyes and ears," she said with a grin.
Harry kissed Hermione gently on the cheek. "You are beautiful no matter what you look like," he whispered.
Hermione laughed and took Harry's hand in her own. "I know," she whispered. "Training was pretty typical after the manticore attack. Train with Queen Arya in the morning and the evening, train with Liam during the day, and taking on border patrols were pretty much my life. The biggest thing that happened to me happened three weeks ago. I'll never forget what happened…"
Hermione ducked the punch that Liam threw at her and tried to knock him off his feet with a sweep kick. Liam jumped back to avoid the kick before sending one of his own, catching Hermione in the ribs and throwing her a few feet back.
"Almost, but not quite," Liam said happily. "We'll call it a day. The monthly bonfire is going to start in an hour and I would prefer to attend less sweaty."
"Fine," Hermione laughed as she took Liam's offered hand to stand up. "I could use a good dip. I miss hot, running water," she sighed. "There's nothing like a hot shower after a long day of training."
Liam shrugged and they started jogging back to their home. When they arrived, they grabbed their bathing items and their formal wear and ran right back down to the pond where they bathed. Always chivalrous, Liam stood with his back turned while Hermione took her cold bath. When she was clean and wearing her light-green dress, Liam took a bath. He was done within two minutes and they dropped their stuff off before walking towards the village.
"So, are you going to meet up with anyone at the bonfire tonight?" Hermione asked mischievously.
"You know that as your protector I can't leave your side," Liam replied. "I wish that you would stop trying to set me up," he finished dryly.
Hermione frowned; she hadn't meant to be a nuisance. In truth, she felt guilty for taking up all of Liam's time. He could be a commanding officer in the army or be courting someone, but he was stuck protecting and training her.
"Sorry," Liam mumbled, seeing the saddened expression on Hermione's face. "I'm just…not the family type. I couldn't take a bond-mate and have a family when there's no telling if I'll always come back. I'll always be on the frontal assault of any battle. It just wouldn't be fair to them…"
"I understand," Hermione whispered. "But, life is also too short to spend it alone."
Liam looked at her and Hermione could see a flash of pain in his eyes, but it was quickly gone.
They walked the rest of the way to the bonfire in silence. When they got there, Hermione immediately went to greet Arya and collect Ivy.
The monthly bonfires consisted of a village-wide feast to celebrate another successful month in Tel'Ranaemyn. Villagers sang songs and there was dancing. Hermione herself ended up dancing with at least five men while Liam held Ivy and kept a watchful eye on her.
After another song ended, Hermione walked over to Liam and tugged him over to a nearby log to sit, knowing that he wouldn't sit unless she was sitting.
"I don't know how many more dances I have in me," Hermione sighed as she stretched her weary legs.
Ivy rubbed against Hermione's side. "You need to have some fun," she said. "You spend almost all of your time training."
"I wonder how Harry is," Hermione whispered. She wished that it was Harry that she was dancing with. The hole in her heart was ever present, and not knowing if Harry was waiting for her hurt more than anything.
Their moment of rest was ruined when a collection of loud bellows surrounded the village square. Liam was immediately on his feet with Hermione not far behind. He withdrew his sword and handed Hermione his second one, knowing that she hadn't brought her own with her.
The trees that made up the village seemed to tremble in fear as the bellowing grew louder. It wasn't until a female elf screamed in terror that Hermione saw what was making the noise.
It was a herd of minotaur. They were tossing their heads and stamping their hooves as they charged the village and tried to take out anything that was in their path.
"I thought that minotaurs were solitary creatures," Hermione gasped as she picked Ivy up in her arms.
"Tell them that," Liam said gravely. With his free hand, he grabbed Hermione's arm and forcefully pulled her towards where Queen Arya had taken her seat.
Her personal guard was surrounding her and didn't object as Liam pushed Hermione through their protective ring.
"Liam," Hermione objected.
"Stay there," Liam ordered and then he was gone.
"Liam!" Hermione cried, more out of frustration than anything else.
A gentle hand on her shoulder stopped Hermione from pushing through the guard to join Liam in battle. Turning around, she saw Arya looking at her with kind eyes.
"Those who are protected are not helpless," she said simply. She took Ivy from Hermione's arms, fond of the fox even though she couldn't completely understand her, and gently pushed Hermione out of the ring. "If you die I will be very disappointed in you," she called.
Hermione chuckled and raced to help the closest elf taking down a minotaur. She did her best to assist the elves and not burden them. It didn't matter how many minotaurs she helped to take down because two more always seemed to take their place. For twenty minutes, Hermione fought desperately to protect Tel'Ranaemyn from this raid, but exhaustion was quickly setting in and soon she was too weary to dodge in time when a minotaur struck at her with his war-club.
Biting her lip in pain, Hermione fell to the ground as her shoulder continued to bleed from the gash that the minotaur had given her. Elves from Arya's personal guard ran to her aid, but before they could get close enough, the minotaur grabbed Hermione around the throat and hauled her into the air. The minotaur's hand was huge and could easily snap her neck and he was trying very hard to prevent that.
"I want Arya," the minotaur bellowed in rage. "Bring her forth or I will snap the human's neck!"
There were collective gasps throughout the village as everyone saw the predicament that the human who would be their champion was in. Hermione could see Liam pushing his way to the front, his chest heaving with rage as he saw the state his charge was in.
"Do not harm her," Arya's calm voice said from among the crowd. "I am here."
"My Lady," Hermione choked out as Arya stepped up to the minotaur without her guard. "Don't come closer."
Arya looked coolly at the minotaur who was slowly choking the life out of her pupil. "Why have you come, Ajax? And why have you chosen to gather your kind together to attack my people?"
The minotaur, Ajax, glared at Arya. "We have merely come to claim what is ours," he snorted. "Once we have killed every elf in this damn village, we will take it for our own and I will be king. And you, Arya, will die today."
"I do not fear death," Arya said simply. "But, you are killing my student and I cannot allow that. Let her go, and I shall let you kill me."
Ajax grinned hungrily and with a mighty heave, threw Hermione to the ground. Hermione gasped in pain as the wind was knocked out of her and weakly rolled over as Ajax grabbed Arya's throat and started tightening his grip.
"Queen Arya," Hermione gasped. She fumbled for her sword and forced herself to her feet.
Harry is going to be pissed when he hears this, Hermione thought warily.
Hermione held her sword in front of her and murmured, "Ama poldora (strength)," to strengthen her blade even more. While elves were powerful magical creatures, Hermione was stronger. And she was hardly going to let this ugly bull kill her master.
"Gurth gothrim Tel'Quessir (death to the foes of the elves)!" she shouted as she climbed on the minotaur's back as Liam had done so long ago.
With all her strength, she thrust the blade into the minotaur's neck. Because the minotaur's neck is very thick, the wound didn't kill him and only made Ajax even madder. He used his free hand to grab Hermione off of his back, but not before she murmured "Pelekta yassen runya (flame strike)," and summoned fire to her sword. Just as Ajex's hand closed around her waist, Hermione swung her sword and took off one of his horns before jabbing her sword through his skull.
Ajex's cry of rage was short as the life drained out of him and he dropped Arya to the ground. He started falling backwards and Hermione only had a second to realize that she was still on his back before he fell on her and her world went black.
Hermione woke up to find that everything hurt. She wearily opened her eyes and immediately noticed that she was in the mountain. With a grunt, she tried forcing herself to sit up, but a firm hand on her shoulder prevented her from doing so.
"You need to rest," Liam's tired voice told her. "You were gravely injured and almost didn't make it."
Hermione turned her head and frowned at the condition that Liam was in.
The elf looked like he hadn't slept in days. His skin was pale and there were bags under his eyes, something that did not look right with his normally perfect skin. His clothes were wrinkled and torn and his arm was in a sling.
"Liam," she coughed. "You look awful."
Liam chuckled bitterly before he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly. "I swore to protect you and I let the leader of the raid to capture you and I couldn't stop his body form crushing yours. I am not worthy to be a warrior."
Hermione scowled and forced herself to sit up, ignoring Liam's protests. "I am alive because of you," she told him. "I never thought that I could fight completely without magic, but I did. I took down a freaking minotaur all by myself! And yes, being crushed by Ajex's body sucks, but I'm alive, and that's what matters."
Before Liam could respond, Hermione turned her attention back to her bed and her expression softened when she saw Ivy sleeping on the foot of the bed.
"She almost died with you," Liam said softly. "The two of you have been asleep for three days. Queen Arya herself has come to heal you every hour. Ajex's large body broke almost all of your ribs, one of which punctured your lung. You had massive internal bleeding and Queen Arya said that you had a bad head wound too. Why didn't you stay with the Queen?"
Hermione shook her head and immediately regretted it as her head began to swarm. After taking a few sips from the broth that Liam brought to her lips, Hermione answered.
"If I am to be your champion," she croaked. "Then I need to fight. People get hurt in war, people die, but that can't let it stop you."
"Brave words, young one," Arya's calm voice said from the doorway.
As the Queen walked in, Liam immediately rose to his feet to bow and Hermione awkwardly bowed in bed, wincing as she did so. Arya walked up to the bed and muttered a few words before she assessed Hermione's injuries.
"I have healed all the breaks and bleeding," she said. "But, I can't fully heal the bruising. You must undoubtedly be sore. Are you well enough to walk?"
Hermione nodded uncertainly and, with much assistance from Liam, got out of bed. She stifled a cry of pain as her body moved, but didn't complain. When her legs didn't seem to want to work, Liam scooped her up in his arms and carried her as Arya led them deeper into the mountain.
"My Lady," Hermione said uneasily as they went deeper into the mountain than Hermione had ever gone. "Where are we going?"
"You have proven something to every elf in Tel'Ranaemyn when you took down Ajax all on your own," Arya said as she continued to walk. "I have also realized that you are ready to take on the burden that I am about to impose on you."
The rest of the trip went in silence. Arya led them down a series of steps into the very heart of the mountain. The two elves were very quiet and serious, and it made Hermione nervous. When the stairs finally ended, they found themselves standing in front of a metal gate that was guarded by two elves. They bowed to Arya and moved aside so that they could make their way through.
When they entered the room, Hermione gasped in awe at what stood before them.
It was a large gem that was sitting on a pedestal. It was a bright blue color and Hermione could feel the power that it radiated.
"We call our treasure, Elear," Arya explained as she put her hand on the gem. "It means visionary. It is this gem that makes the decision who shall rule Tel'Ranaemyn. I have been waiting, for Elear to decide when you were ready, and after the minotaur raid it decided that you were ready for the burden. Hermione, what would you be willing to do to win this war and be with your loved ones?"
Hermione held onto Liam as he put her back on her feet. "Anything," she said firmly.
Arya nodded and beckoned her forward. With unsteady steps, Hermione walked forward until she was standing next to Arya next to Elear.
"Hermione, the only way that you can finish your training in time is to become one of us," Arya said gently. "If you are willing, I shall perform an adoption ritual through Elear and you will be granted the qualities of an elf. Because I am only the mother, you would remain half-human. You would most likely retain your human mortality and you would gain elf features. Then, through Elear, you will gain the knowledge that you will need to possess in order to finish your training in your remaining three weeks. It may seem like taking a shortcut, but in reality it is the only way. Are you willing?"
Hermione bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "So, if I go through with this, you'll be my mother?" she asked quietly.
"In blood," Arya confirmed. "I know that your own mother was taken from you, but that doesn't mean that I am trying to take her place. Even if it is my blood running through your veins, you are still your mother's child. And though I have come to love you like a daughter, I know that you already have a mother. All I want is to help you to survive this war."
Hermione thought about it for a moment longer before she nodded. "I'll do it."
Taking a blade from a reluctant Liam, Arya slit hers and Hermione's palms. They then put their bloody palms on Elear. The gem absorbed the blood and the room was suddenly encased in a vibrant blue light.
Hermione screamed in agony as the blood in her veins suddenly felt like fire. It made the pain that she had felt earlier seem like nothing. She felt the burning in every part of her body. Her eyes, her muscles, her skin, and her ears oddly. The pain was so intense, but Elear was refusing to let her black out. After a minute of pain that made the cruciatus look like a stinging hex, the pain stopped and Hermione fell backwards, unconscious.
When she came to, she was aware of Liam cradling her gently to his chest while one of the guards helped Arya to get to her feet.
"Hermione," Liam gasped in astonishment. "You're…"
Hermione squinted as she looked around her. Everything was sharper, more defined. Her hearing was also more sensitive. She could hear the other guard shifting anxiously outside of the chamber. With slightly trembling fingers, she touched her ears and found to her shock, that they were pointed.
"I'm an elf," she stated. She wiped her eyes to stop the bitter tears from falling. "Do I even look human anymore?" she asked Liam.
Liam smiled comfortingly. "Your eyes only have small slits and your ears are only slightly pointed. Your hair is still wavy, but neither your hair nor your eye color has changed. You're right in the middle. Did Elear pass on the knowledge to you?"
Hermione closed her eyes as she sorted through her brain. Years of knowledge of the elven ways swam in her head, giving her a slight headache. It was as if she had been training for years instead of a few short months.
Elear couldn't grant me this gift sooner because I hadn't proven myself, she thought. Who knew that all I had to do was nearly get squashed to death by a minotaur to do it.
"My child," Arya said softly as she was on her feet. "How do you feel?"
"I've been better," Hermione admitted. "Are you alright, My Lady?"
Arya smiled gently at Hermione. "You may now refer to me as, My Lady Mother. You are now my daughter, and you shall do great things."
The group sat in silence as Hermione finished her tale. Harry gaped at her in amazement while Neville and Luna were wearing big grins.
"So you completed your training? You're here to stay?" Luna asked excitedly.
Hermione nodded. "I dueled Liam, though he still kicked my butt," she said with an annoyed expression on her face. "But, I did well enough so that My Lady Mother made me a warrior. I even forged my own blade and made my own bow," she said proudly.
"I'm just so happy to have you back," Harry said as he pulled her even closer. He looked at the clock and gaped in shock when he saw that it was almost nine. Hermione stifled a yawn and Harry was immediately on his feet. "You look exhausted, Hermione," he said. "Let's go to bed."
Hermione nodded happily. She got up and went to give everyone else in the room a quick hug. "I'll answer your questions tomorrow," she promised. "But I just passed my training this morning and right now I can barely keep my eyes open."
They nodded in agreement and Harry led them back upstairs. Kex and Ivy went to their own room and Harry and Hermione went to theirs. Hermione changed into her human pajamas and climbed into bed, sighing in delight at the feel of cotton instead of animal pelts. Harry jumped on the bed next to her and cupped her cheek in his hand.
"I'm going to get something from the kitchen," Harry said once Hermione was changed. "I'm starved and judging by your stomach growling, you are too."
Hermione shook her head and pulled Harry closer. "Please," she said quietly, her voice suddenly pleading. "Just be with me."
Harry nodded, stunned at her sudden vulnerability. "I'm not going anywhere."
Tears started filling Hermione's eyes and she brought her lips down onto Harry's fiercely. Harry was more than happy to oblige. He returned the kiss with just as much passion and he soon found his hands caressing his fiancée's thighs. He stopped his hands just as they reached her waist and started pulling them back to himself when Hermione's hands stopped him.
"Please," she begged, tearfully. "Let's be together, body and heart. I can't be parted from you any longer."
With that, Hermione started undoing Harry's Wizengamot robes and tossed them aside. Harry looked at her in astonishment, but the desperate need in Hermione's eyes made his heart clench and he started taking off her tunic.
For that night, in their reunion, they were together in the most intimate way possible. And for that night, everything was perfect. They were together again, and that was all that they needed.
A/N- Review! -Phoenix