Chapter 3: The Way Forward

The road was treacherous as the horses galloped along with their Elf riders keeping a look out to the surroundings and to the edges ofrollshaws woods that lay of the the side. As they galloped a spear was throw out in to their path spooking one the horses as he jumped up. The rider was able to calm the beast but out form all sides came species of scaled warriors armed with wooden spear's with pointed rock tips.

"Protect the cargo." called out the riders as they got their weapons out.

A spear then flew towards them and hit them of the horse, only to pull out the spear and be attacked by Dragon-Kinn jumping on them. Using their claws they slashed at the Elves, before lifting up their head and lowing their retractable fangs and dove them in to the Elves neck.

Others charged in shoving their spears in to horses sending them over and others used them to fight of the Elves, who stated shooting arrows and and drawing their blades. As the fight went on horses fled and the cargo they carried fell to the floor and spilled out and caught the eyes of the Dragon-Kinn. The silver metal was left aloft of the road before them, and the Dragon-Kinn just shot their eyes over to the fallen metal.

The Elves took this advantage and where able to get the upper hand, as they began to over throw their attackers. But as a blade stuck a scale of an attacking Dragon-Kinn it was unable to pierce their thick hide, the attack wavered as the attackers learnt of their new invulnerability. Storming the Elves they dove in and scooped up the the fallen treasure, before fleeing back in to the woods and field's leaving he Elves licking their wounds.

Watching the Dragon-Kinn escape the Elves fumed as they recovered their lose, their faces fumed as the Elves looked on.

The Elf leading the the trio held such a similar expression as they marched on into the city. The Elvenking's Halls where a sight to behold, the architecture spanned high and wide as it was forged in to the trees and earth it self. But the trio was not in fact interested in the hallowed halls the vast expanse in the city.

It was here they stopped as the king came to great them as the doors where closed with a simple nod.

"Scales, pronounced tale, snout." said Thranduil, listing of their features "Dragon-Kinn threw and threw, tell me why do you come here."

"Let us go you venomous snake." Hissed Elizabeth.

Thranduil looked away unimpressed before making a great leap forward and placing a dagger under her throat.

"That won't work on me." she smiled sticking out her forked tongue.

"Oh is that so." he sniggered and run the blade along her scales, applying only the smallest amount of pleasure.

The pain soon shot though her body as the blood began to drip out, and Thranduil snapped away the blade just as quickly as he had brought it out.

"How?" snapped Elizabeth.

"Ounce my men sent world that they captured some Dragon-Kinn, I made sure to fetch the only weapon I new we had that could cut though your scales." he sneered.

"A black blade." she cursed.

"No, but close. It was forged by out finest long before the black blades ever were, shame it cunt cut though you and can only pierce those scales of yours." he said speaking with a tone of disgust in his voice.

"You'll play for this Elven." she cursed as she tried to get lose only to be manhandled.

"Take her to the dungeon." he declared.

Kicking and screaming Elizabeth was dragged away as the rest of the Elves took their belongings with them, as Snarlg was yanked along with them.

"As for you." said Thranduil getting close to Vincent. "Come with me." he stepped back and strode away.

The first sittings of Dragon-Kinn was in Second age as few travelled to Middle Earth in search of resources, it was here they discovered the one they called the White Guardian who first taught them magic. Most of their knowledge or what little of it that's know of it was in fact gathered in this early time of travel.

It was around this time after enough hardship that they discovered a large group of mountains that encased each other to form a circle untouched by the harshness out side the mountain range. This became the city of Snegurochka this would lead to the only colony of the Dragon-kinn outside the realms of Middle Earth.

And the people of city had gathered together in the largest open area the city possessed, it was out side the great hall, and had a stand where a few guards stood along with Alistair. Below the people spoke amongst themselves as they spoke as to why they had been gathered. Alistair looked down on the people with a heavy heart before he looked to the clouded sky above.

Sighing he stepped forward "Listen everyone." he spoke up putting his hands out defensively.

The crowd stopped and looked up at him.

"I know, the food shortage is a problem for us all, many of our current generation may know that we know eat one of our parents. This is done to save food for our newly hatched."

Many in the crowd nodded.

"And know as the rations we have learn to use has become the normal way of life. But we know need yet another rationing of the Gnarg meet, along with the little fish we can gather." he said hanging his head.

"You can't." came the out cry from the crowd.

"What do you expect us to do?" came another.

"Do you want us making more eggs like the last time we had a food crisis." shouted a third.

The crowd soon became mob as they shouted and yelled.

"Listen listen." he called trying to quell them down "This effects all of us, and wile I wont force you to do anything, this is only until we can gather some more food surplus."

"Does this have to do with the work going on in the pits?" asked one.

"This explains why the shops cutting back on what they can sell too." called out another.

"And why are you telling us this? Where's the queen!"

"Yeah!"

Soon chants and cries rose up form the crowed.

"SILENCE!" shouted Alistair.

The crowed soon calmed down form their anger.

"Our own need for equality for all, has led to the desecration of the ounce stable Gnarg pits." he confessed. "And our state of ever growing need for food to stabilize our province has only led to it's destruction." he looked away taken back for a moment to think about what to say. "Now the pits have a reduced a great output, and in order to save them…" he stopped seeing movement in the crowd.

Making their way though the two brothers soon came to the steps either side of the stand that lead to the stand.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Alistair.

"We have important news." whispered Davin.

"One of the guards has left their post." added Devin.

"Do you know which one?" Alistair asked.

"Theodore." the two said.

In the Throne room king Thranduil sat quite comfortably wile Vincent felt unsure on where to stand and fumbled his way around.

"So Dragon-Kinn why have you come here, so close to the very people you stole from?" asked Thranduil.

"We didn't steel anything." recalled Vincent, before the realization came over him "Oh you mean our ancestors."

"Yes they stole what we where tying to trade with our other Elves."

"Yes the sliver." nodded Vincent "That's what where looking for."

Thranduil leaned forward "Silver? What was stolen from us was Minthril."

"I guess it's a simple case of our culture being separated, there have been many misconceptions about what things are called here in the south lands."

"Middle-earth." corrected Thranduil.

"I'm sorry."

"This is Middle-earth."

"See another misconception, living so long in north of here we only knew this area as the south lands."

"Speaking on misconceptions, I thought all Dragon-Kinn where blue, all the Elves who survived all your attacks recall them having blue scales."

"Oh no, most are blue or purple, along that line of colours, shades do vary."

"So how does that explain you?"

"That's a long story."

"You have time."

"Would you not rather negotiant our terms."

"Form where I sit, you have nothing to negotiant with."

Vincent scowled, and Thranduil came down form his throne taking out the small dagger he had held before.

"I have no need to keep you alive, and I have what I need to kill you." he stopped just short of reaching Vincent "So why don't you indulge me, I do so want to now more about the very people I plan to kill."

"If it has you so wish, my scale colour is due to in illness I suffered as a hatcheting, the part of my body that creates and shades in my scales was effected form a still birth."

"So you where born dead."

"Dying, but the point was, after I was brought back, my scales never adjusted, and that's why I'm orange."

Thuranduil made his way back to his throne and sat back down.

"So what will you have me do?"

"Answer more of my questions."

"What questions exactly?"

"Why have you come here?"

"We come in search of silver, Minthril." he said correcting himself "We need Minthril to save our people."

"And how do to want to mange that."

"By infusing it with magic."

"Is that why you need this." smiled Thuranduil snapping his fingers.

A guard same in with his staff and handed it over to Thuranduil, as Vincent pined after the staff.

"How are you able to use magic, your no wizard."

"What, no I'm an artefacter." corrected Vincent. "It's my job to safe guard the artefacts of our people, magic is just to be passed down from one to next."

"Yes, but only the wizards can use magic, and you're an artefact-er." said Thuranduil trying to copy his pronunciation "So how did you come to learn magic."

"It was passed down form one Artefacter to the next, of course it was foretold a Vipera-Berus of new colour would become a great Artefacter."

Thuranduil began to sigh "Who was the first to learn magic."

"Our first Artefacter, was the magician who was taught by the white guardian."

"White Guardian?"

"A legend of our people, clad all in white, with the hair and beard to match, carrying great power, he is a great and powerful being."

"Gandalf." whispered Thuranduil.

"He was the one who taught our ancestors magic, and it has been passed down… "

"You can stop now." he said leaning forward.

Vincent decided to keep quite and watch the staff.

"Guard, take him away." said Thuranduil waving his hand "And take the staff with you."

"Hang on wait." called Vincent, as he was dragged off.

In the cells below Elizabeth and Snarlg where both in cells as the guards stood at their posts, left to pout and brood she sat curled up as she leaned her head on the wall. Snarlg in the next cell over was laying curled up on the floor, both seemed passive and as foot steps soon sounded their mood slightly changed.

"Move it." called a guard.

Trying to see Elizabeth tried to peak out her cell, as a spear with tip made of Minthril was throw down before a Dragon-Kinn was as well. Standing back up Theodore saw the queen in the cell.

"Your highness I'm here to rescue you." he said before being forced back to the ground by a guard.

"Well your doing a great job." she retorted.

"I'll have you out don't worry." he insisted.

The guard pulled him away and Theodore tried to attack but the Elf stood still as his chest plate was being slapped softly, repeatedly. So the Elf guard opened a cell and shoved him in and locked it afterwards, retrieving the spear as well.

More sounds carried over as another guard came in with Vincent and his staff.

"Take this and make sure it's secure." said the guard of lopping the staff.

The other guard now held both and nodding they turned around to leave. In a panicked state Vincent charged for the staff and was able to grasp on to it for a brief moment.

"Stop…" all the guards said before a bright blinding light filled the room.

The Elven guards dropped to the floor trying to shield their eyes.

"What was that?" asked a flabbergasted Theodore.

"Blinding light, now come on." Vincent replied.

Elizabeth coughed to call attention to the fact they were still locked up.

"Oh yeah right." realised Vincent and dropped to the floor as he fumbled around on the guards belt looking for keys.

"Just blast the lock." Suggested Theodore.

"Got it." beamed Vincent as he held the keys up.

Scrambling over to cells he struggled to find the right key as he kept looking back to the door.

"Hurry up." insisted Elizabeth, getting inpatient.

"Got it." he smiled as the door came loose.

"Get our gear, I'll free the others." she said taking the keys.

"Right." said Vincent as he raced off.

"See I helped." insisted Theodore as Elizabeth worked on Snarlg's lock.

The creature became enjoyed and tried to pry the door open.

"Your not helping right now." she said tensing up.

The sounds of calls form beyond the prison echoed loudly.

"We have to go." she said getting Snarlg loose.

Just then two things happened at ounce a set of guards stormed in and Vincent returned with all their weapons.

"Here." he called out tossing the ice blade only for it to fall short and land just in front of him.

"Cease them." shouted the captain of the guard.

As they flooded in Elizabeth shot back tried to pick up the blade falling on her back as she reached out for it as and Elf jumped down on her, bringing their own blade to her face. She was able to bring up the freezing weapon to block the attack, their breath came out in clouds as the sword cooled the very air around them.

Snarlg was tearing in to the guards jumping and swinging at them but was easily hit with green sludge spilling form his wounds, he howled in pain before he brushed them aside.

Whistling Elizabeth called to her pet. "Fetch."

In an instant the Gnarg raced over to Vincent who was shooting bolts to keep the guard at by. Snarlg charged towards him trampling the Elf who was fighting Elizabeth giving her the strength to fend of her attacker and get to her feet. Snarlg picked up his mace and stood along side the other two, as they both got ready to fight, which soon happened as the guard were still coming in.

Blades clashed as Elizabeth made her way towards the cell holding Theodore, swinging the blade every time it made contact with the walls or the blade of an Elf small fractions of ice formed. Snarlg charged in strong swings of his mace all over the place as he bounded around the prison he smashed walls and Elves alike, as he tried to protect Elizabeth. Vincent's staff in hand along with the bag holding all that they needed as well as the spear, he kept shooting orange bolts where he could, trying to keep everything back.

Reaching the cell Elizabeth soon found she had no keys.

"Open the cell." said Theodore.

"I can't." she said spinning around to deflect another attack.

"Do something." he begged.

"Little busy right now." she said still duelling the Elf.

"Please hurry." he prattled on.

Getting frustrated she spun around and slashed the lock with the sword, as a blade came down on her back making her scream in pain. The sword soon coated the lock in frost and the blade was now coated in a fin ice that also surrounded the lock.

The Elf smiled. "It's called piercer, as it can pierce almost anything."

"Okay." said Elizabeth scowling though the pain "What about ice."

She swung away braking the ice and broke the door of it's hinges, the ice broke away the and door swung in to the opposing wall. Theodore was shocked but just as quick was yanked out by his queen.

"Get your weapon?" she shouted, still in pain.

Theodore kept low and manoeuvred his way through the fight to reach Vincent and his spear.

"We have to go." Vincent called "Which way to the door."

"Don't know." shouted Elizabeth as she shoved the blade in to the floor as ice spread shooting all around to coat the floor.

Soon as the Elves lost their grip in the fight, but the other's managed to stand up right. Whistling Elizabeth recalled Snarlg who retracted back to the other, she soon pulled the blade out from the deep hole it had made. Turning she fled grabbing the others as they too made their escape.

"Stop them." shouted the guards.

The Elves all drew their bows but the ice made it hard to line up a shot and most missed by a small margin.