A/N A special thanks to everyone who's read the story, as it's got more than ten thousand views.
She climbed to the top of the abandoned bell tower, her footsteps covered by the din below her. She had to talk to her father, she had to tell him. Her foot landed on the top step and she quickly grabbed the mallet, hitting the bell, waiting ten seconds, before hitting it again. She went back down the steps, taking a seat on one of the temples many benches. It would take some time for them to arrive.
Velvet began to look at the walls. This was one of the oldest buildings in Nordberg, having survived so long by being away from any major structures, and being well hidden, the bell tower having been built into the outer wall. Though there were signs of damage. Several alcoves lined the wall, each with the depiction of one of the deities, before ending in a large mural. One of the alcoves was badly damaged by fire, totally removing what ever once stood there, with the same having happened to the larger picture.
"I knew you'd call us here." A voice announced, causing Velvet to look behind her. It was the Fisherman, and she pulled herself up and walked towards him, before throwing her arms around him.
"Hi dad." She whispered, looking at the other figure who she recognized as The Guardsman.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked, pulling back lightly.
"They're all dead." She stated, only a slight hint of sorrow in her voice. "Everyone, grandmother, Josephine, everyone. They were killed."
The fisherman placed a hand on her shoulder, walking her to a bench before sitting both of them down. "Walk me through it, one bit at a time." He said softly. "Guardsman, leave."
The abomination took his mask off as his friend walked off, loud clangs ringing around them as he walked.
"We've both known for a while that the Overlord was returning, but I think he knew about us as well."
The man gave a tilt of the head. "What do you mean?"
"We were attacked at the sanctuary, someone knew where it was."
"How?" He asked.
"I don't know." She replied, shaking her head. "One of them, literally one, came in and wiped out everyone. I only got out because grandma sent me away before hand."
"Did you see."
"No, I didn't." She interrupted. "I left before he arrived."
"Are there any clues to who it was?"
Velvet hummed slightly. "The elven leader, Ober, Ober-something, he came the day after. It seemed too coincidental. He offered to take over the safe houses, fight the Red Dawn while we recoup. I only gave him half of our locations though. I don't trust him."
"Nor should you." Her father replied. "If a deal seems to good to be true."
"It probably is."
"Good girl." He whispered, giving her a pat on the back. "You said that Josephine was with them?"
"Yes." Velvet whispered, her tone beginning to twinge with sadness.
"I'm sorry, I understand that you were, close."
"I knew it was going to happen. I've got a variation on your little gift." She tapped her temple slightly. "Remember."
Lo looked out over the balcony, she'd forgotten how beautiful the sky was. Strings of light danced across the sky, flashes of green, blue and gold. It was amazing, and no one knew how it worked.
She was nervous. Very nervous. She could have an uncle, who was acting regent. That meant her mother was a former. No, her mother couldn't have been royalty. Her mother was an entitled, egotistical. Lo paused mid-thought. Things began to make much more sense. Though John wasn't like that, his sister was ever so slightly borderline with those qualities. His mother was insufferably nice, and his father had a thing for theatrics which sounded stupid.
She then began to think about elves. When she was little she had been tutored in the language, they it was scattered and based on what had been tortured from elves in her father's reign, and she hoped it would be useful.
There was a cough from behind her as an entourage of figures appeared. At the front were two warriors, she assumed they were at least, the knives they were carrying would be rather impractical for spreading butter, and she could already feel a smell ball of fire appearing in her hand instinctively.
The group parted, a red-haired man in heavy armour strode towards her. He was two heads taller than Lo, and a lot broader. The family resemblance seemed mostly in hair and eye color, as well as skin tone. John was walking behind him, struggling to keep up and looking rather undignified as he moved in a half jog.
"Hello." Lo attempted to say in elvish, letting out a sigh of relief the man gave a nod.
"Your pronunciation is slightly off." He replied in human with friendly smile. "Though the rest was fine."
"Thank you." She replied, switching back to the regular language. "Shall we get to business then?"
"While you may look like my sister, you share little of her personality. She always enjoyed pleasantries more than the dealings themselves."
"I shall take that as a compliment."
"Please do. Mirah." An elven woman appeared, carrying a knife, a small glass dish, and and a scroll. Oberon took the first two items, pricking his finger before squeezing several drops of blood into the dish.
The scroll was handed to Lo who quickly began to read it. It was a spell she hadn't seen before. E'ral's ritual of blood. Lo continued to read, it was simple enough. Add her blood, cast the spell, if the blood fused they were related, if not, then the drops would go vaporise.
Lo was handed the dagger and did the same to her finger, adding two drops of liquid to the dist before healing the small cut. She looked up at Oberon who gave a nod before continuing. She suddenly felt much more nervous. Would he be angry if she wasn't?
What if she was? Would he try to drag her back? Sit her on a throne while her army slowly disintegrated into nothing more than a roving war-band. The minions needed her to be directed effectively. She took a deep breath before continuing the spell.
The mixture in the dish separated for a second, before slowly spiralling around each other and meeting the centre. A pulse seemed to move outwards from then before bouncing back in. The blood then fused, before forming a crystalline structure.
"So." Lo let out, dragging out the syllables to fill time as she began to think.
"You are the rightful elven monarch. You should take your place." Oberon instructed.
"About that." Lo bit her lip nervously, she couldn't return till the job was done.
"I said should. I didn't say must." He replied flatly.
"Pardon?" Lo asked, feeling confused.
"Our race can live for millennia, a few months is not that long." Oberon started walking away. "We will not side with the Overlord, though we shall remain loyal to you."
His small party followed him, till it was just John, Lo, and surprisingly Mirah.
"Weren't you supposed to go with him as well?" Lo asked tilting her head in confusion.
"I am sworn to protect the royal line." She replied, not even flinching. "No matter what side they take. I may have failed your mother, but I shall not abandon you." She went down to one knee.
"Please, don't, get up please." Lo stuttered, finding herself blushing which made John chuckle. Mirah did as commanded and Lo started to hum, trying to think things through. "Do you know where the Nordberg sanctuary is?"
"I was there when it fell."
"There's a nether gate there, a hole in the ground with orange light coming from it. Enter it and after a while you should arrive at the tower. Ask for Gnarl and Morg, explain to them what's going on. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes your ladyship." Mirah responded, briskly walking away, leaving just Lo and John.
"Thank you for being honest with me." Lo said, before heading to the balcony and looking over it again. "And I think I owe you the same courtesy."
"What do you mean?" He asked, standing next to her.
"The reason I'm working with the Overlord. It's not about vengeance or anything like that."
"I didn't think it was. I don't think you're that type of person."
You don't know what I'm like. "When I was rescued, I was shown a document. A group of nobles had decided that having an elven ruler could be problematic when it comes to succession."
"It makes sense. A lot of them are impatient and having to wait for a long time to move up won't appeal to them." He replied.
Lo gave a nod. "The deal was that once an heir was produced, I'd be disposed of. Then when my child's heir came of age, the same thing would happen to them and so on, till the line was mostly human again."
"Why didn't you come to me? I could have helped." John asked.
"I." Lo paused. "I didn't want to make the kingdom turn on itself."
"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense."
"And there's something el." The air suddenly rushed out of Lo's lungs as a crossbow bolt dug into her back, causing her to turn around.
A whole set of guardsman were there, crossbows in each of their hands with one of them reloading theirs.
"Fire on my mark." One them yelled.
John had seen them as well, and time slowed down. He could push her out of the way, it seemed like the best idea. It would move her from the path of the bolts, and stop her from frying them.
Just as he managed to put his hand on her shoulder, she threw herself over the balcony, and a bolt hit him in the wrist. He looked as she started to drop. Descending in to the darkness below.