[IC] Legends of the Lost Age

[moonfaerie]

The bug crawling across the wooden floor was more interesting than her mother's lecture. It scurried to the left before pausing and then moving back to the right again. What an odd little indecisive creature. As it moved out of her view she twisted in her chair maneuvering to her knees as she held onto the back and watched it intently. It stopped, turned to face her, and for a moment she wondered if it knew that she'd been watching.

That's when it collapsed and shortly after began to convulse. Small hands gripping the chair, she leaned forward with a wide eyed morbid curiosity. The legs torn apart from it's body by an invisible force, it's innards poured out of it's mouth. Gasping the girl fell down in her seat turning to face the hardened stare of her mother.

“And what have you learned?” she demanded harshly.

“You killed it,” the girl complained. Crossing her arms she pouted with a discontented huff. “Maybe we are evil.”

Frowning at the child, the woman gave a defeated sigh. Resting her elbows on the table, she massaged her temples. “No,” she curtly responded, lips pursed taught together in annoyance. “Magic does not make us evil. The King is not called evil though the blood of his tyrannical forefathers flows through his veins.” A sneer of loathing and disgust making it's way on the woman's face at mention of the man, the little girl lowered her head and remained silent. It was better not to interrupt lest she end up on the receiving end of her mother's wrath. This was a lesson she had learned the hard way. “One cannot control whether or not they have the ability to possess magic, but one can control how they use it. We have been blessed by the Aru-”

“Cursed you mean,” the girl spoke. The woman stared at her daughter, hazel eyes glistening in confusion which prompted her to further explain. Straightening her posture as if she were sitting with the other children in the schoolhouse, she began to proudly recite the lessons they had been taught. “The Malignant, also known as the magi, are beings created by the union of the Aru and Orlana's creations. Children of sin-” While she had much more to say that her instructor had told them, her mother cut her off before she'd gotten a chance to properly begin, completely outraged.

“These are the lies they teach our youth?” she shrieked. The ground shook with her rage.

“Ma,” the girl whimpered, glancing fearfully towards the door. Magic was something to be feared. It was godly power that no mere mortal should have possessed and therefore anyone who did was a danger. All magi were to be eliminated. It was for the good of mankind. To save themselves from inevitable corruption as much as to save others from their predisposed ways. While it wasn't magic the little girl feared, it was the possibility of the royal army finding them and prosecuting them as Malignant. There weren't many things the child was afraid of, but the threat of death and loneliness was among them.

Realizing her mistake, everything became still. The woman stood, wrapping the child within her arms as they both listened for the clomping sound of footsteps they were both so certain would soon follow. When it didn't the woman relaxed, letting her arms fall. While her body may have been at ease, the girl could see the anxiety in her mother's facade, hidden behind her eyes.

“Off to bed with you, Sybil,” her mother ordered. “Your lessons are done for the evening.”

Hopping down from the chair, the girl glanced over her shoulder at her mother before she shuffled off to bed.

Had she known that would have been the last time she'd ever seen her, she would have said good night.

[Sol Grim]

It started as a rumor. Soon enough the entire village was conversing back and forth about it. The witch living among them all. It wasn't long before the order was given, and the king's men were quick to march to obtain her. Sybil was asleep as the soldiers burst through their door without warning. Her mother was taken by force, the ground once more shaking all around. One soldier knocked the woman out with the hilt of his blade, as they then dragged her to the center of the village.

When the suspected witch awoke, it was daybreak. The sun's light barely gleamed over the distant mountains. She was tied to a pole and being burned alive, her daughter Sybil was forced against her will to watch, as she was chained to another pole not far away. The townsfolk all watched silently as the woman burned to ashes. The smell of her flesh disgusted most, as one by one they all left the scene.

"What about the girl?" asked one of the king's men, he was a burly fellow with a thick brown beard.

"No proof she's a witch, but the kingdom can not take that chance," the commander replied. He sat atop a black stallion as he spoke, but were he to step foot to the ground he would be considered very short. "When the prisoners show up, have her hanged with them. No need to burn another, the smell."

It would be noon when the ships carrying the prisoners came to port. For the entire time Sybil was left to be mocked and spit at. The people of the city under the king had no mercy for the malignant, no matter the age. They also had no remorse for thieves, as a bell chimed throughout for everyone to hear. All knew it meant a hanging was to be had, and these people could never resist the temptation of watching. With Sybil's mother's corpse still burning, a line up of prisoners was brought forward as the crowd thickened with the locals. Sybil was brought onto the platform, from chained to a pole to a rope around her neck. She was to be hung among the lowest of the lows, pirates.

"Dead men walking!" The crier led the four captive prisoners toward the town's gallows.

Dalious walked at the rear and was the only of the pirates to have his head up. He was looking at all the faces in the crowd for one specifically, the traitor dwarf that got him captured in the first place. One who was once called a loyal friend, though he was nowhere to be seen.

A rock flew by and cracked Dalious in the temple, causing him to drop to a knee. "Theives!" one older man yelled while raising an angry fist in the air. "Pirate scum!!" came another voice.

"Piss on you, you meesley vagrants!" Dalious spat, which welcomed a fist to his gut from one of the guards. Then he was tugged onto the platform and forced under a noose, just next to Sybil. He turned his head to see his comrades under the same fate. They were some of the newer members to his ship crew and probably the only ones that could have been trusted, though he found that little bit of information out a little to late. "An easy job he said. In and out, he said. That fat treacherous dwarf! If I ever see him ag--"

His words were muffled by a wool bag being placed over his head. Everything went dark and it became harder to breathe. He then remained silent, as he figured he would rather be hung with a bit of air than none at all.

The crier began to speak of their crimes to the ever angered mob of people, all waiting in anticipation for the ropes to let go. He would have completed the offenses, but the pirate's being sentenced to death kept edging him on to "GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!"

Suddenly, the first of the trap doors opened up, and the pirate fell quickly. The poor bastards neck snapped him dead near to immediately. As the crowd cheered, with a few surprising jeers, the next pirate got hung.

"Dalious," the man next to him said, finding the time to speak a few last words before he met his demise. "I want you to know, I had nothing to do with what happened. I want you..."

"It matters not, mate," Dalious calmly spoke through the bag. "Die well, I shall surely follow."

"We had some fun though," his commrade said with a slight laugh. "It was an honor to..."

All Dalious could hear was the floor slam as it gave way, then applause. Some of the people were sickened by the act and tried to leave, though curiosity led them to stay. With only few seconds left in this world, Dalious took a deep breath and gave one final attempt to pry open the locks binding his hands together. Not only was he a young pirate and thief, he was very skilled with slight of hand and a few magic tricks of his own. He had kept a pick on him at all times, this time he kept it under his tongue. It proved to work out, as he felt the chains click behind his back. A smile spread across his face.

"Today's your lucky day, mate," Dalious said as the hangman walked up to him and prepared to hang him. "You get to hang the famous, Dalious Durendail!"

"Never heard of you," was the reply. "Not your lucky day, pirate."

Dalious tossed away his chains and reached for the man's waist, where he pulled his own sword out and then stabbed him in the heart with it. He then let the body of the hangman fall into the crowd of people, as he quickly sliced the rope above Sybil's head and even quicker, picked her chains from her wrists. He did all of this before removing the bag from his head, thinking Sybil was one of his fellow comrades instead.

"Who the damned hell are you, lass?" he asked, though the question would have to wait. The soldiers had started to approach the gallows combat ready, but the commander had left his black stallion unattended. "Come on."

Dalious grabbed Sybil and forced her to run with him, and to jump onto the Stallion together. The horse only stirred once, then as if it were his own, sped off down the street and away from the mob of people. Arrows flew by as they gathered up speed, jumping the fence leading to the fields and out into the forests.

They rode the entire rest of the day, up to the night. The stallion was faster than any of the horses left behind, so they gathered a lot of space from the town. They would easily lose the king's men in the forest, as few dared to enter for any reason. It was like a maze, with no clear paths or remembered structures. Some say it was even haunted, and that the forest would move in the darkest of the night.

When they had a moment to breathe, Dalious stopped the horse and they made a small camp. The trees on every side of them covered view from almost all angles, so as long as they stayed quiet, they could stay safe from their pursuers. Dalious tried rubbing two sticks together to make a fire in the pit he created, but no luck would come to him just yet. He looked over at the girl he had just met, though neither of them spoke much at all since they were focused on escape.

"Why would the empire want to hang a young girl, less you be a witch?" He said. "But they already burned a witch, I believe. So who are you?"

[moonfaerie]

Though her eyes may have been closed, Sybil could still hear the shrill shrieks of agony piercing her ears as the smell of charred flesh filled her nostrils. It was a sound and stench she would never forget. Tears streamed down her face and snot from her nose as the girl pleaded, begging with the soldiers to stop this and let them go. There was a feeble naive hope that somehow her mother could survive. That somehow she could think through the pain and use her magic to escape. Sybil tried to remember her own teachings, if there was anything her mother had taught her that she could use to free herself from her own situation. Her stomach churned with nausea, but the lack of food only resulted in violent heaving with nothing to show.

After what seemed like an eternity, the screaming finally ceased and all Sybil could hear was the sound of the flames crackling on the pyre. The soldiers took her down from the pole and the girl opened her eyes, regretting the action immediately as she saw the blackened corpse of her mother hanging limply on the pole beside her. As much as she wanted to look away from the morbid sight, her eyes never strayed. Even when they dragged her off to the gallows, she craned her head in an attempt to look behind, to watch for as long as possible until she couldn't see anymore. Flames of hatred birthed deep within her as she committed the sounds and the sight to memory.

A bag shoved over her head, she was shoved forcefully to her destination. The tears had since stopped as she simply stood there awaiting her fate, tuning out the sound of the crowds and the last words of the men around her. Hands clutched down by her side, she could feel her blood start to boil. The plank at her feet moved slightly and, perhaps given time, the whole ground would have started to reverberate with the intensity of her emotions as it did with her mother. However, she never got the chance, as the rope was cut from her neck and the sack removed. The girl blinked, staring up at her savior with a wide eyed curiosity, unable to find the words to answer him. There was no time.

Feeling his hand grip around her wrist, he dragged her behind her more than she ran as they reached his horse. Clamoring onto the stallion, she held onto the stranger and glanced behind her shoulder at the mob chasing after them. Arrows flew by their head and her eyes narrowed. With another set prepared to aim at them, she removed one of her arms from her grip around his waist and gave a wave of her arm. The trajectory of the path of the arrows changed as they whipped around like boomerangs, plunging through the weak points in the armor of the men who had originally fired them. She returned her tight hold on him so as not to fall off as the horse took off.

There was nothing but silence through the duration of their trip as they traveled through the city deep into the labyrinthine woods. Most people were afraid of the forest, but Sybil found comfort hidden through the canopy of the trees. Their little cottage had been on the outskirts and her mother had always taken her there for her lessons about nature and fear.

Watching the man as he worked on rubbing two sticks together, she tilted her head to the side. Eyes drifting towards the fire he was trying desperately to ignite, she held out a hand. Without much effort at all, a stream of fire like the breath from a dragon left her palm to send the flint in a blaze. The small clearing now illuminated, her piercing blue eyes scanned her surroundings before she took a seat on a fallen log, picking at the fungus and moss that had grown over it. In response to his question she said only her name. “Sybil.”

[Sol Grim]

He slightly backed away as she lit the fire with her magic. Where he grew up, people hated magic. It seemed the hatred was worldwide for the malignant, though he since has moved along from those types of people. Dalious was just a young man when he left to the sea. Being raised in an orphanage, he never knew his parents. He was always getting into trouble, and when he found out he would be sent to join the empire in its wars, he fled to the fishman ships and snuck aboard. Not because he was afraid or a coward, but because he had a longing to see the world. He quickly joined a rag tag bunch of pirates, none of which cared about magic. In combat, magic they would consider cheating. Other than that, they never understood why the empire would burn innocent people of suspect. The pirates left Dalious with few cares to be had, and he found himself a bit mesmerized by it. The stream of fire just flowed from her hand like it was nothing. Jealousy started to kick in.

"Pleasure, Sybil," he said with a nod. She was a young girl, but she had a dangerous gift. He wondered if she fully understood it all. "Dalious Durendail, furthest pirate from the sea. That's quite the gift you have, making flames just like that." He snapped his fingers. "The empire won't stop hunting you down, which means it was very wonderful to meet you and all, but I have to go."

He had plans for himself. He felt justified in saving the girl in the first place, and he knew hanging around her would only bring him a load of trouble. He rather liked to cause trouble, while avoiding it at the same time.

The day's sun could not be seen but barely overhead. The trees above them were so thick and high, it left their surroundings shaded and made it impossible to tell the direction they had been travelling, save for the footprints and horseshoes.

"I suggest you keep those powers to yourself, little miss," he continued. "Less you want to be hung for real, next time. Stick to kitchens, blend in. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Dalious nodded assuredly, then prepared the horse for travel, assuming the horse was rightfully his now in the first place. He hopped on the horse and turned it for the ready.

"Farewell!"

The horse kicked back, hard. Dalious quickly went flying to the dirt face first, a loud thud echoing through the trees and beyond as he made impact.

"The blooming hell!" he spat as he got up, the horse trotted away from him and toward Sybil. "On second thought, I'll travel with you until we find a town. How about that?" He offered a smile, though his face was still covered in dirt and weed.

[moonfaerie]

Watching the young man as he spoke, Sybil only listened out of courtesy when she'd rather be doing anything else. On occasion her mind drifted back towards the scene in the city—to her mother's corpse on the pyre and the crowd jeering for her death. The snap of his fingers bringing her back, her face creased as the frown on her face deepened. “They're looking for you too,” she pointed out. She hadn't been the only one who'd escaped that was slated to die that day. The empire may not stop hunting her, she may never be safe again, but she doubted he would be either for the role he'd played in her escape.

There was no emotion on her face as he proceeded to give her advice. Sybil had always thought the stories her mother had told her before this point were to scare her into being agreeable—paranoia among their kind to purposely distance themselves from the humans and the elves. Seeing that those beliefs had been wrong, that the people of the kingdom truly hated them for their abilities, was a bitter piece of information for her to swallow. Perhaps her mother had always been right and there was really no room in this world for a kind malignant.

Even so, she would not work in the kitchens. The girl may not have been anywhere close to royalty or even a part of the aristocracy, but she was proud nonetheless. She'd been given a gift by the gods and that gift wasn't meant to be hidden away in the kitchens. Her mother would have been disappointed in her. Now that the woman was gone, she felt more of a need than ever to live up to her expectations.

Dalious may have been ready to go, but his horse appeared to have other plans. A small smile on her face when the creature bucked him off, she held out her hand and even stood as the animal clomped in her direction. “There, there,” she cooed as she petted his nose. The girl wasn't surprised. Most animals tended to have a fondness for the malignant, exceptions including the wretched cursed creatures sent by the empire to hunt her kind down to extinction. Her eyes glanced up at Dalious, arching an eyebrow at his sudden change of heart. “How kind of you.” Her words were flat, but if she had any strength to convey any emotion at this point it would have been sarcasm. He wasn't offering to accompany her out of the goodness of his heart, but out of the contrariness of his horse.

Gaze sweeping over the clearing again, she caught the sight of movement out of the corner of her eye. Reaching out with a hand towards the direction to catch whatever it was before it was gone, she dragged a small rabbit back into the clearing with an invisible force. With a flick of her wrist, she closed her hand into a tight fist resulting in a sickening crack of the bunny's bones filling the clearing. She crossed her arms in front of her, staring down at the unmoving animal, body twisted in ghastly abnormalities. Glancing back up at Dalious, Sybil motioned towards the body with a nonchalant wave of her hand. “Dinner,” was all she said.

[Sol Grim]

Dalious winced at the sight of it. He had hunted down many rabbits in his early life, cracking their bones down and skinning them. This was something different. He wasn't sure whether to be thankful for the food, or terrified for his life. He gave a skeptical nod of agreement and went to pick up the carcass.

"I'll never go hungry with you around," he said, almost shyly. She quickly informed him of who the power house was between them. The pirate had a skill with a blade and spear, bow and shield. Though he had never seen magic like this, and wasn't even sure if she was at her full potential.

He skinned the rabbit with the hangman's blade, then set pieces of it on sticks for the fire. While the meats cooked he layed back on the ground and focused on the girl.

"Wish I had some salt, or some hot peppers," he mumbled. "...if I hadn't saved you back there, could you have killed them all? Does your gift have limit?"

Not far away a few horses of the empire followed their trail, they were not thirty feet away when they dismounted and went forward through the thick of the forest on foot. They soon heard the voices, and cautiously approached.

[moonfaerie]

Lowering herself back down on the log, Sybil said nothing in response, but continued to eye him curiously. He didn't appear to be scared of her or, if he was, not to the extent others normally were. Frowning at his question, the girl averted her eyes as she gave it careful consideration as she wondered herself what she would have done if he hadn't sprung into action when he did. All she could remember was a blinding rage that dulled everything around her and strengthened the connection she had with the earth.

It was odd to think just the night before she had been defending these same people to her mother—trying to convince the woman that maybe the malignant were the ones who needed to change. “I don't know,” she replied. The first time she'd ever killed or hurt anyone was during their escape, redirecting the arrows back to their assailants; the vivid memory sent a chill running down her spine. Eyes narrowed as she glared at an inconsequential patch of dirt on the ground while thinking about the men that had kidnapped them and killed her mother, she told him, “I would have tried.” Whether she was successful or she would have died in the process was unknown.

Lifting her gaze to focus on him, she gave a nod. “Our gift is fueled by the blessings of Aru and Orlana, of nature and emotion,” she told him. “Chaotic emotions cause chaotic magic. Love and compassion, creation. Anger and hatred, destruction. If I am tired-” or a state induced by poppy tears, similar as to what had been done to her after they rendered her mother unconscious to keep her from attacking, “I cannot concentrate. My magic is either unstable or useless.” A small smile quirking at the corner of her lips, she added, “But it does not run out and it does not tire me. The more I use it, the more invigorating it feels.” It would be easy to let such power go to her head as others often did. A powerful malignant in her own right, she didn't even compare with her mother. She needed to be better. If they wanted to fear her, she would give them something to fear.

The sound of twigs snapping jolted her to attention. Sybil stood, whirling towards the noise. “What was that?” she asked, eyes flicking over at Dalious, imploring him to check it out.

[Sol Grim]

"Interesting..." Dalious said. She had basically told him her secrets, probably because she trusted him already. He was by no means a good person though, as he quite often lie, cheated, and stole his way through life. "You're a very interesting young lady." He quickly thought of how much gold he could get in using her. Or maybe in selling her. He rubbed his temples in thought.

The twigs snapping caught to his attention as well, the pirate grabbed his blade and stood. Before he could go any further, the Empire's men were all around them. The short commander stood over a hill behind them, while the rest of the soldiers encircled the two. They were caught again.

"Did you really think you could get away from the Imperial Empire?" the commander spoke, a smirk pressed on his face. "And did you really think I would not come for my horse?" It was his they fled on from the gallows. He gave the horse a kind look and then focused back on the captives.

"Yeah," Dalious answered.

"...well you were wrong," he said. The men around them had their weapons ready and aimed. "You, the boy, you were to hang for thievery and pirating, a noose is noble for crimes such as that. The girl, for suspected witchcraft. Now, you are both murderers and outlaws of the Empire. You will be cut down where you stand."

The hangman was the first person Dalious had ever killed. It just came naturally, as he felt like it was a self defense. The young pirate hadn't even had a moment to think about it all before the Empire was back on them. He stood in front of Sybil, not sure if even her magic could help them this time. Perhaps his words could, he quickly thought.

"A cowardice method," Dalious said with a spit to the ground. "Pirate's may be scum to you, but at least we live by honor and code. Have your best man face me one to one, if we win we go free. Come on mate, have a spine."

The commander let out a laugh, and for the fun of it in his mind, he accepted. With a nod and a point, one of the soldiers came forward and faced off with the pirate. Dalious gave a courteous bow, then took his stance. He had never trained like the soldier, but a lot of things just came naturally for the pirate. So naturally, that he was as calm as ever.

"So you are the best?" Dalious asked the man clad in red and white armor.

"Ai, boy," he replied.

The soldier rushed in with a swipe of his blade, but Dalious deflected it and did a quick inward spin, then drove his sword through the man's chest, armor and all. He had to kick the dying man from his weapon to get him off, as the soldier fell to the floor and died.

"There, fair is fair," he said. "We are free!"

"KILL THEM!" the commander shouted, as it seemed even the forest was moving behind him. "Kill them now!!!"

[moonfaerie]

At the commander's mention of the horse and the look he gave the animal, Sybil found herself moving closer to continue petting the creature—as if to console it for having to put up with being in captivity with such a terrible person for so long. Her stance was protective and one look showed she refused to let the man return with it, no matter the kindness he had in his eyes for the animal. He was undeserving and even the horse knew it as it didn't move from it's location back to his former master.

These men apparently weren't convinced she was a witch, or so she gleamed from their use of the word suspected—and she suspected that most of them, had they thought she was a real witch, would have been too afraid to continue chasing after them even if it was under the kings orders. She'd seen many men sent from the Empire run away once they realized the extent of her mother's full power. None of them had ever made it far and hidden deep in these woods somewhere were the disfigured bodies of their comrades.

Frowning at Dalious, she shook her head in an attempt to tell him it was a bad idea. The Imperial Empire—and people in general—could not be trusted. Even if he did manage to win, it would only anger them more. But he either did not see her movement or ignored it as he faced off with one of the soldiers, the man's arrogance and cockiness leading to his downfall. Just as she predicted, the commander yelled the order to the others to kill them. Sybil's eyes widened and, for a moment, she began to panic, her mind unable to focus on what she should do as her first instinct had been to run.

But as the men grew closer, she had to react on nothing but instinct. Holding her hands out in front of her, the flames emerged from her palms and sprayed the ground in front of her. A wall of fire erupted between them and the men keeping them at bay for the moment as another group tried to flank them. A wave of their hand sent a shockwave knocking them off their feet and struggling to regain their balance. There was a sudden rush of anguish tightening her chest knowing that these were the same men that had killed her mother.

Something began stirring inside of her—something dark and twisted. The ground beneath her feet began to shake as the flames of the fire suddenly began to spread, encircling the area entrapping everyone inside. Her breathing came out in short bursts as her gaze focused on the soldiers. The blazing wall licked at their feet as they clamored over one another trying to figure out how to escape as it made a slow and agonizing crawl towards them. Some were brave enough to try to rush through the flames, but the moment they reached the other side they collapsed, bodies convulsing on the forest floor much like the bug her mother killed. Blood pooled from their eyes and ears as vomit spilled from their mouths and soon their lifeless eyes were staring up at the canopy of trees overhead.

Their pleading cries filled the clearing, begging mercy from the witch—and it would have made her laugh if she didn't feel dead inside. Her eyes were kept on the scene, urging the flames on with nothing more than her mind and soon the begging was replaced by the sounds of their tortured cries as they burned.

[Sol Grim]

Dalious just stood next to Sybil, occasionally raising a forearm to block his face from the heat pouring off of the flames. Putting it all together, he realized that the woman burned on the pike was her family. The pirate cringed as he watched the commander's face implode, while also burning to the bone. He decided not to speak of any of that, as not to anger the magi. She was far too powerful, and he was thankful he was on her good side.

"You burnt the rabbit meat," he informed, as he stepped over the burnt corpses and pulled the two sticks from the fire. "I've lost my appetite anyway, best to pocket these for later. We should go, we have plenty of horses now."

He would have loot the bodies, but everything was ash and flame. The Imperial's horses were in fine condition though, as the pirate set another one up for travel.

"Imperials control most of the country here," he said. He loaded the horse with a few supplies, then hopped onto it. "The fae to the west, the dwarves to the north, the free people to the east. I say we find a ship, sail east. There you wouldn't be hunted, and I would be at sea. We both win." He was too nervous to mention that he wanted to use her. Not for anything cruel really, but her gifts could make him rich. He just had to sway her further to his way of life, he figured.

"Of course, the fae and the dwarves don't hunt the malignant, either," he added. Also not mentioning how much gold he could make in selling her to one of those houses. They would probably pay high, but she would be used as a war weapon most likely. She was extremely dangerous, should her power end up on the wrong side of battle, she could kill hundreds of innocents. It was too early to tell the state of things, for now all he wanted to do was keep moving. "Some of the horses carry water, here. Even you need to drink still, I think?" He handed her over a canteen of fresh water, courtesy of the empire. "We can camp further down, surely this area will be attracted by wolves soon. Then we can finally rest."

It had been a long day.

[moonfaerie]

The rabbit meat had been the last thing on her mind. When Dalious mentioned it, she looked to the blackened rabbit when he took from the fire. Her eyes stayed on him, following him as he moved, though she remained silent. Her appetite was gone, too. Sybil felt sick to her stomach as she looked at all the corpses surrounding them. Knowing that she'd been the one to do that made her body shake and she barely felt she could stand. Loosing the strength in her hand, horrified at what she'd done, she almost collapsed to the ground. At the last minute she managed to catch herself by holding on to the horse. The animal allowed her to do so without bucking and it even looked like he was trying to help her.

Listening to his suggestion, she found it difficult to imagine leaving. It was hard for her to adjust to this new reality where her mother was dead and she was a fugitive—a murderer. With no other options and no other idea of what to do, the girl nodded her head. “Okay,” she agreed, her voice dry. At least Dalious had a plan which was more than she could say for herself. And she had to admit, having lived on the outskirts of Arthenway her entire life, she was interested in going a place where the malignant weren't considered the enemy.

Not realizing how parched she was until he offered her a drink, Sybil took the canteen from him and gulped it down, water dribbling from her chin. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and said, “Thank you.”

They traveled towards the east, putting as much distance as they could between them and the clearing. Sybil rode atop the horse that had taken a liking to her and she to it. Not knowing how to refer to the horse, she took to calling him Altair; he didn't seem to mind his new name. Getting as close to the east port as they possibly could through the maze of the forest, they eventually had to stop and build another camp. It was easier this time as rather than waiting for him to start a fire, Sybil immediately made one for the both of them. Curling up beside it for warmth, she fell asleep using her arm as a pillow.

It was a restless, fitful sleep filled with horrific nightmares and the girl woke up hours later to the rising son covered in a cold sweat. Stretching with her arms over her head, she frowned when she felt the leaves stuck in her blonde hair. With a frown she reached back to pluck them out, removing a couple of twigs that had found its way in there as well.

Looking over at Dalious, she watched him sleep for a moment before her impatience got the better of her. Crawling over on her hands and knees towards him, she sat down in front of him before shoving him forcefully awake. If she was up, he would be too, and they would take advantage of this time to proceed forward. “Up!” she exclaimed. “Up, up!”

[Sol Grim]

It wasn't the men he had killed that kept him awake that night, but rather the one's Sybil killed. Her method was so fast, so deadly. He watched her sleep on the ground and thought of her only as a child. She looked innocent and pure, but whatever was within her gave the pirate the chills.

Before long he fell to sleep, and he dreamt of something quickly forgotten. It only felt like seconds when he suddenly woke up again, Sybil shoving him and yelling in his ear. He grabbed the girl and tackled her over to where she now lay back to the dirt, while simultaneously pulling out his blade and stabbing it just past her left shoulder.

"Good morning," he said with a smile, then backed off of her. His blade stabbed into a scorpion that had been crawling on her back, its' legs and tail still squirming with the blade pinning it to the ground. Dalious flicked the scorpion away and then sheathed his weapon again. "Saved your life twice now in just two days, must be a record."

The pirate stretched and then plopped down again next to the already lit fire. He began cooking breakfast, the burnt rabbit meat, and cracked the bones in his body that needed cracking. When breakfast was done and the horses were loaded, they were off again toward the ocean. The dark forest was quickly clearing away as they came out of it, not needing to head through it to reach the sea.

"In order to head east, we need a ship," he started. "The next town is a gutter hole, a real piece of shit. It is Imperial owned, but its easy enough to sneak through there. Lot of drunks and losers. Gambling town." He had been there a few times before, though he was very young and hardly remembered it. The band of pirates he joined up with went there a few years back, when the world was somewhat peaceful.

"The reason I was to be hung, was because a dwarf named Grefolin betrayed my captain and those loyal to him," He said. "Traded us to the empire, and so here I am. Now, that was just the other day. If I know that treacherous dwarf like I do, I'd say he took the Sparrow for himself along with whatever gold the Imperials gave him." He spit to the ground, he was angered just thinking about the traitor. "Which means he's in the King's Sea and has to circle back to Tortugal, the place we are heading to. There, I will get my vengeance as you have gotten yours. Also, the Sparrow. Fastest ship in the sea. After I kill the dwarf, we will need to find a crew to sail it. So try not to kill everyone. We must make haste!"

Dalious jumped on his horse and freed the ones they didn't need. Then it was back to the path. If they rode the day and into the night, they would reach the town before the dwarf could. Also the word of them being outlaws wouldn't have reached the town just yet either, which gave them a bit of an advantage.

[moonfaerie]

Tackled to the ground, Sybil thought at first the man was attacking her. There was a warmth in her fingertips as she gripped a clump of dirt with a fist, a faint glow barely illuminating from beneath the earth. It wasn't until she saw the scorpion on his dagger that she relaxed, free hand moving to the place on her shoulder where she hadn't even felt the creature crawling. Saying nothing to his boasting, she allowed him to have it as it had been a true statement. He had saved her life twice now. The girl sat up in the dirt, staring at him curiously. Though she'd been planning to sneak off and break away from him once they reached their destination, it crossed her mind that he might have some use after all.

Not ever venturing past the city or the forest, Sybil didn't know much about the rest of the world or what to expect. The thought of through a rough part of town, even with her magic, still scared her—she didn't feel she could trust anyone at the moment, except perhaps Dalious, and brought her knees close to her chest.

“Grefolin,” she mused, trying the name on her tongue. She scrunched her nose up at the sound of it; she didn't like it. Nor did she like the dwarf for betraying Dalious' friends. A slow nod as she could understand wanting retribution for what the dwarf had done ,she said, “Then lets kill him.” The words came out as casually as if they'd been discussing the weather. Tilting her head to the side, she frowned slightly at his request. Always the one to oppose violence, she had only killed now because her hand was forced. Her gaze drifting towards the ground, she wondered if this was what all people thought of the malignant. A pang of sorrow gripped her chest as she thought about her mother thinking that, at one point in time, the callous woman might have been just as naive as Sybil herself had once been.

Picking herself off the ground, she coolly stated, “I will not kill them if they give me no reason to.” Perhaps she should linger in the woods instead, find a cave, and live out the remainder of her days in a peaceful solitude protected by the forest. Mounting Altair as the rest of the horses scattered off into the forest, they proceeded on their way to the little crime ridden gambling town Dalious had mentioned. Keeping her head lowered to the ground, Sybil wished she had some sort of disguise to keep her camouflaged and hidden. The young girl stood out among the dark hooded cloaks and dirty thieves even if she did look like a beggar covered in ash and soot.

Leaving their horses by the tavern inn, she followed closely behind Dalious—a little too close as she occasionally clipped at his heels. A frown on her face, she told him, “I don't like it here.”

[Sol Grim]

The pirate gave her a frustrated look as she kept stepping at his heels.

"We'll be in and out, no worries," he told her. There were ships already docked nearby, but none of which were the Sparrow. If it came to it, any ship would really do. They just had to scope out the scene.

A nearby man nailed a wanted poster up on a pole just outside the tavern. It was a fresh artist depiction of the two of them, a young blonde man and a young girl, the pictures surprisingly accurate. It read that they were both wanted dead or alive, 80 gold alive and 120 gold if dead. Dalious quickly pulled the poster down and pocketed it into his garb.

They entered the lively tavern, with a bard playing an upbeat song on her lute.

"Bard's song"

youtube.com/watch?v=b48KCbSWMeM

The place was filled with locals and passerby's, all really drunk and seemingly without a care in the world. There were few Imperials on duty, though they paid little attention to the tavern, less a fight broke out.

"Rum, and two pints of ale," Dalious told the barkeep, as the man went to work pouring their drinks. The drinking age on Imperial soil was quite young, so there was no hesitation. "What news of the war?"

The bartender handed them their cups, then replied, "It continues. The savages and the Imperials have been at it for almost a year now, but the Imperials are winning and soon, those barbarians of the forests will be gone forever. Good riddance, I say!"

"Agreed, mate," Dalious said as he downed his rum and handed back the cup over for more. He placed a few burnt gold coins down for payment, of which the bartender barely noticed. "Have the ships sailed back from Arthenway yet, we were to meet a friendly dwarf named Grefolin?"

"Yeah I know Gref," he replied. "He stopped in here on the way in to Arthenway, said he was transporting prisoners to the king's city. Hasn't made his way back here yet, probably be here in the evening, though."

"Thanks," Dalious said with a nod, then took the pints of ale and directed Sybil over to their own table to drink and wait.

"That changes things a little," he told her as he took a few sips of the precious booze. "Ah, that is damned good ale. Anyway, Grefolin hasn't arrived yet, so we wait. Until then, drink. It will soothe your worries."

Before long, Dalious was 5 drinks and 6 shots in, and was feeling much like everyone else around them. He still was aware and knew what he was doing, but he had a nice buzz and felt happily good. A few others were dancing to the bard's tunes, while the gambling tables were getting rowdy and wild but they still remained to themselves.

"I want to play a song," Dalious said with an immediate hiccup afterward.

He stumbled his way over to the bard, dropping a few burnt coins in her case. He asked if he could play, and the kind woman obliged. The pirate sat on a stool and began to play an old song he knew.

"Welcome Be, You Merry Drunkards!"

youtube.com/watch?v=KNLcFqwUv4U

When he finished, he received a nice applause, then gave back the instrument and went back to his table.

"See, this place is not so bad," Dalious said and took another drink.

Just outside at the docks, the Sparrow pulled in to port. Grefolin was at the helm, as he and his men walked down the path toward the tavern for a drink. Many hounds began barking at the sight of them, as the sun fell once again from the sky.

"Care to dance?" Dalious asked Sybil as the next song started.

[moonfaerie]

Not knowing her way around the small town, there wasn't much Sybil could do other than follow Dalious who appeared to be well informed. Eyes catching sight of the poster, she tried peering around the young man for a better glimpse. Lips pursing into pensive thought when she saw their illustrations, she looked up at him curiously wondering what they supposed to do now. One of the appeals about this place had been the fact that no one was supposed to know who they were. With the wanted posted going up, Sybil didn't feel like the location was safe; she didn't think she would feel safe anywhere anymore.

Following him into the tavern, the music, the overlapping cacophony of voices girl grated on her nerves and she gritted her teeth together. An unpleasant smell filled her nostrils as she was quite certain these men and women hadn't washed in ages as well. It wasn't her scene and she hoped they would, as he said, be in and out.

Standing silently beside him, she tuned out his conversation with the shopkeeper and spent her time surveying the areas with her piercing blue eyes until she heard the name Grefolin mentioned. Turning her attention back towards him, as the dwarf was the second reason they were there, she listened to the news and gave a discontented sigh hearing that they would be forced to stay in that dreadful place for even longer. Keeping her head down as he led her to one of the tables in the back, she stared at the drink he placed in front of her, head tilting to the side in confusion.

Pulling the pint of ale closer to her, she hesitantly brought the frothy liquid to her lips. Taking a small sip, she instantly set it back down with her face scrunching up at the bitter and unpleasant taste. Shaking her head, she held her hands out in front of it to signal she didn't want anymore. It was disgusting.

While Dalious proceeded to drink, she listened to the bard. Swaying to the expert playing of the lute and the woman's melodic tones, Sybil remembered singing with her mother—hymns in the nearly-forgotten language of the old gods kept alive and passed down through the malignant. It was one of the many things she had often fought with her mother about; she never had wanted to learn the old ways. She'd always resented her gifts thinking, just as others had, that they were all inherently evil.

As Dalious proceeded to get up and interrupt the bard, Sybil shook her head with a small sigh. He was drunk. Looking back to her own pint of ale that she hadn't touched, she supposed it was a good thing she hadn't now—one of them needed to keep their wits about them.

Watching curiously as he took the lute from the woman, she listened to his song paying more attention to the crowd gathering around. They stomped their feet to the tune, slapped their knees, and cheered. When he was finished, they all let out a round of applause. Sybil joined with a smile and a polite clap.

“I suppose it's not,” she commented when he rejoined the table even if it was a lie—she still hated it. But he appeared at home and at ease and, with nothing else to do in the meantime, she could tough it out for the moment. Eyes drifting back towards the bard, she thought about taking the lute to play for herself, much as Dalious did, and singing a song in the ancient tongue. Sybil refrained, not wanting to speak the language of the old gods and draw anymore attention to herself than she already had.

Glancing at Dalious at his offer to dance, the girl narrowed her eyes at him. “We are not here for fun,” she stated. They were there for a reason—they were there for Grefolin. For a boat. For a moment to rest. They were not there to dance. She looked away.

Although...it did sound appealing. And the more she thought about his offer the more she found she wanted to take him up on it. If she was going to be stuck there, there was no need for her to be miserable the entire time. Turning her gaze back towards him, she changed her mind. “Fine,” she said. “One dance.” She spoke as if she were doing him a favor as she stood and offered him her hand.

[Sol Grim]

Imperial song

youtube.com/watch?v=VnwD8zsGl2Y

A few other bards joined in with different instruments, and together they played to the patrons entertainment. The entire floor of the tavern was dancing to the music, though Dalious and probably Sybil didn't know the imperial dance, it was very easy to figure it out from watching everyone around them. The woman and the men stayed on either side from each other, while they went back and forth to and fro, spinning around and about. Once Dalious got the steps down, he looked up to Sybil to see how she was faring.

The poor girl had lost her mother just the other day, but it was nice to see her being able to have some fun. He spun her around once again, then held on to her as he recognized a shadow from the window. The dwarf and his men were just outside and making their way in.

"He's here," Dalious whispered. "Meet me at the docks, look for the ship with a painted sparrow alongside it. Be there soon!"

Dalious spun her off to another dance partner and made his way off the dance floor. When Grefolin and his men came in, they all dispersed around the people dancing. Some went to the tables for some poker or dice, others went straight to the bar, but Grefolin went directly to the head whore of the tavern. They spoke for a little while, while Dalious danced and moved, blending in with the crowd. Soon after, Grefolin was given a room upstairs and he headed toward it.

Dalious went outside, immediately feeling a fresh gust of wind and a soft breeze with it. He waited until it was clear, then climbed the tavern to the second floor, where he entered a room through the window. The next room over was were Grefolin was, the dwarf already beginning to remove his armor and clothing before the whore had even entered the room.

When his back was turned, Dalious went in and walked directly behind him. The dwarf was so busy oiling up his arms that he hadn't noticed the hangman's blade held up just above him. The blade was placed to the dwarf's throat and he paused in movement.

"You are a traitor," Dalious spoke.

"Ah, I heard you escaped," Grefolin replied, knowing immediately that it was Dalious who had come back for him. "I was happy for you, you know it was all just business, right?"

"Not pirate business, makes you a traitor. Penalty for betrayal is death."

"You are a wanted man now Dal, you kill me, and..."

Dalious slit the dwarf's throat, as the large traitor fell to the floor grabbing at his open wound. He slowly died in a pool of his own blood, left for the whore to find.

The dancing seemed to continue on even as he reached the Sparrow at the docks. It appeared to be empty, so Dalious quickly cut all ties except for one. He would give Sybil some time to get aboard, unless she were here already. The pirate went down and checked the rooms of the vessel for Sybil, and though he did not find her, he found Grefolin's prisoners.

There were about ten of them, most human, a few of them were cat folk known as the Muleki, from warmer islands in the far east of the sea. Grefolin was selling them as slaves, as cat folk were very good at various skills. They were humanoid in figure, though their skin was covered in fur of various colors and designs. They had tails and their faces resembled cats, and they spoke a broken common tongue. Most of them sounded very drunk when they spoke, as their voices were slow and slurred.

"Help us, whoever you are," one of the cat folk spoke upon seeing Dalious. The cat was completely black in fur, with yellow eyes and pointed ears.

"Help me sail this ship, and you shall have your freedom," Dalious responded.

They all nodded.

The alarm suddenly started going off in the town of Tortugal, as a great bell rang though the night. It meant they found Grefolin's corpse, and were on the lookout for trouble. It was time to leave and explore the open seas. Dalious went back on deck and readied the last tie to be released, waiting for Sybil to appear. He would hate to have to leave her, but at the same time was prepared to.

[moonfaerie]

These weren't the types of dances Sybil was used to and though she attempted to learn the steps, she never did quiet catch on instead doing her own little jig to match the beats of the music. No one seemed to notice as everyone was too busy having a good time. For a brief moment it helped to take her mind off of everything that had happened recently. With a carefree laughter she didn't think she had in her when he spun her, she looked up at him with a smile and weighed the pros and cons of staying with him in her mind. Dalious was set on a boat—a natural inclination for a pirate such as himself. Sybil would always pose a threat to him and his crew, more than they posed themselves, for harboring a malignant. But the young man was quite useful and he wasn't afraid of her. Or, if he was, he didn't let it show.

Her face fell at the seriousness of his next statement and the hardened stare returned to her face. Without even a chance to answer, he spun her into a random person. “Dalious!” she exclaimed, but he was carried away by the crowd to his destination and the spin to the next partner had her disoriented. Her eyes desperately searching the crowd, she couldn't find him anywhere. The girl wanted to set the boy on fire for leaving her alone in this place.

Managing to escape the crowd, she eventually made it outside and breathed in the fresh night air only to cough as a man in a hood blew his tobacco in her face. A curious look as he stared at her, Sybil kept her head down until a look of recognition crossed his face. “You're from the posters-” he said, reaching for something she couldn't see, but she automatically assumed it was a weapon.

In a panic and without warning she held her hand out to let loose a stream of fire. The man yelled out in pain before she took off running, footsteps pounding against the cobblestone. She'd managed to draw too much attention to herself and it was only now that she realized she was running away from the docks. Her path blocked by a mob of angry men and women from town hunting for the malignant, the young girl climbed on the back of her horse and took off back into the forest.

Sorry, Dalious, she thought to herself, but concluded that at the end of the day, this was what was best for the both of them.

[Sol Grim]

CHAPTER 1
10 YEARS LATER

It was not meant to be. Whatever the reason, Dalious knew she was gone. Instead of dwelling on what could have been with Sybil, he instead focused on what was. The pirate and his new crew were all wanted dead or alive by the Empire. So they sailed east to dissapear.

In ten years time, the war was over. The Imperials won, claiming much of the continent and many lives. King Reol Hilden still rules the kingdom of men, and in his eyes, there has been a decade of peace. In reality, thousands are in poverty throughout Dunarlae, slaves are constantly being bought and sold, or thrown into the arena pits. The elves and the dwarves remain quiet from their kingdoms, neither of their plans known amongst the imperials. King Hilden is left freely to rule over mankind however he sees fit, and only his family or the rich feel the benefits of such a way of life.

To the east of the king's sea, Dalious and his fellow pirates have made quite the name for themselves, still sailing with the sparrow. Throughout the years, they have turned from mercenaries to monster slayers. Many towns and villages they sailed to were infested with some kind of monster or creature.

Such as the giant krakken monster that infested the seas near port Duhill. Its presence in the port's bay was an extreme nuesance to the villagers. No goods could be sold because the river boats transporting the supplies would get destroyed. Not even the guardsmen would dare enter the sea, but when word of the krakken came to Dalious and his crew, they accepted the challenge. Using cannonballs from the sparrow, they kept the massive beast at bay until Dalious shot a whale spear into the thing's heart. Which was oddly located in its' face and was just simply a lucky shot.

"Ah, I hate the smell of squid," Armuille said. Armuille was one of the two Muleki, or cat-folk, in the group. His fur was all black with gold patterns within. The other Muleki was Bernen, the younger and more brash of the two. His fur was orange and black, resembling the tiger.

"Smells delicious to me," Bernen added. They were standing before the corpse of the krakken, the townspeople yelling with cheers from the shore.

"Get ready, mates," Dalious told them. "We're about to make a lot of gold."

[moonfaerie]

The footsteps echoed in the chamber as she proceeded down the long corridor. A chill filled the air and her body shivered in the thin white robes draped over her skin. Sybil stopped to rub the goosebumps on her arm to generate more warmth, her ruby red lips pursed thoughtfully as she debated whether or not to enter the main hall. Hands on the door as she pushed it open just enough to peek through, she saw Everendall Faowind sitting on the throne with a tired expression on his face resting his head in his hands. Beside him stood the Queen, a comforting hand resting on his shoulder. Hushed whispers filled the room that the woman was unable to make out. Prepared to back away to leave them to their intimate moment, she suddenly heard the King say her name. “Sybil. Come here.”

His voice was deep, commanding, and as always, she found herself obeying. The main hall was adorned with exquisitely embroidered tapestries hanging up along the walls. Large ceramic vases were spaced along with walls with dozens of flowers spilling over the sides filling the room with a pleasant aroma. Down the length of the room to the main entrance was a long red rug running up the steps to the two thrones.

“Yes?” she asked, the response curt. Her eyes drifted towards the Queen whose face appeared strained by the lack of formalities in their presence. The woman did not say anything to her, however, and eventually Sybil shifted her gaze back towards the King's emerald green eyes. The malignant maintained a stoic stance and there was an awkward silence in the room until the Queen excused herself to their chambers for the evening. Only then did Sybil let her shoulders relax. Her voice softer than it had been once before, she asked, “What is it, Everen?”

Holding a hand out towards her, she climbed the steps to the throne and took it. He brought it tenderly to his cheek. “Creatures from the Hellsmouths have been sighted on the on the borders of Faestone.” Brows furrowed, the woman frowned. The Hellsmouths and the demons inside were concepts she had never heard before she was brought to Faestone. King Hilden was either unaware of the real dangers of the world or ignorant as he proceeded to deem anyone other than humans the enemy when, in reality, everyone needed to band together to eliminate the true threat.

The elves had found her wandering lost in the woods not long after her visit to the gambling town. To them, as Dalious had said, it did not matter if she was a malignant. In fact, they admired her abilities—especially the young Everendall. In a way, Prince Everendall reminded her a lot of the boy who saved her. Either he wasn't afraid or he didn't show it and eventually she learned to trust him. As the years passed and she grew older, he hardly aged at all. Their friendship began to blur the lines into something more though they both knew it couldn't last.

The war with King Hilden ended the life of Everendall's father and the young prince, or young in the eyes of the elves, was forced to take the throne. Eventually Everendall was persuaded by the court to marry an elven noble woman with the hopes of producing an heir to carry on the royal lineage. Sybil was allowed to remain at the palace as a strategist, her skills in magic on par to those who had been studying the craft for many centuries. Rumors circulated about the King and the malignant throughout the palace—rumors that on more difficult nights became the truth.

“Would you like me to take care of it?” she asked. All he needed was to tell her what he wanted and she would do it without a moment's hesitation. It wouldn't be the first time she'd fought creatures from a Hellsmouth. Sybil could remember the dead eyes staring right through her. They cared nothing about who or what they were fighting, occasionally even turning on their own kind as they slaughtered without mercy. Still, they weren't as terrifying as the humans and their hatred for the malignant. Nothing would phase her after being forced to watch and listen to her mother being burned alive.

Profusely shaking his head, he gripped her hand tighter as he stated a firm, “No.” There would be no arguing with him once his mind was made up. “Not after what happened last time.”

Sybil frowned as he mentioned her failure and both of their eyes went to stare at the long, gnarly scar traveling the length of her forearm. The woman self-consciously pulled it away and folded her arm against her chest. “Then what do you recommend?”

“I cannot spare any Knights. Not with Reol threatening to encroach on our lands,” he sighed, massaging his temples. “And I could not bare to think what might happen if I let you go unattended again.” The woman pulled her lips into a thin straight line, but said nothing. Perhaps she had been a bit overzealous last time, but it was not a mistake she would make again. “I've sent an invitation to a group of monster hunters. I plan to offer them a contract.” The expression on his face implied he was not happy with this decision, as Sybil had learned over time that he was a proud individual that would rather not ask for outside help if he could. But he also knew he had to keep his land and the people in it safe.

Realizing that he did not want her there to give her an order, but merely for her presence and reassurance the woman smiled. “I approve,” she told him, her soft voice calm and comforting. The words brought a smile to his face—the first she had seen all evening.

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a long while and though he appeared to want to say something more, he did not. The King finally stood. “Thank you, Sybil,” he stated, his voice firm and almost cold. With an understanding nod of her head she took a step back to put some distance between them. “I do hope you have a good night.” The woman refused to return his bow out of sheer stubbornness and kept her blue eyes focused on him as he walked away. A sigh escaping her lips, the beautiful flowers decorating the main hall wilted and withered away around her before she retreated back to her quarters.

[Sol Grim]

A hooded she-elf entered a tavern full of drunks and gamblers. She moved throughout the bar, avoiding as much contact with anyone as she could, until finally settling on the seat next to the large black cat, Armuille. Next to him was the tiger, Bernen, and a golden haired man clad in dragoncrest armor.

"I am looking for the monster hunters, those that killed the kraken in Duhill," the elven woman spoke softly to the muleki. "It is known that two great muleki warriors are among the group. Might you be one of them?"

"Ha!" Bernen spat. "Armuille is no great warrior. I am the one you wish to speak with, ma'dam. I am the invincible Bernen!"

She handed Bernen a king's letter she held in her sidepocket. Bernen opened it up and looked at the words written within it.

"Uhh...it says..."Bernen started.

"You can not read you fool!" Armuille shouted with glee, then stole the king's note from the cat.

"Just tell us what it says," Dalious spoke up, then took a drink of whiskey from his canteen.

"You have been invited to greet the elven king of Faestone, his highness Everendall Faowind," she said. "I am Ardenelle, and I will escort you to the king."

"Your king is at war with the human king," Dalious said. "We want nothing to do with the war. We fight the creatures of the world for the people in it, and are aligned to no one but ourselves."

"King Faowind does not request you to take part in that war," Ardenelle went on. "He needs your aid with a creature. Or Creatures. Something terrorizes his lands, I will tell you more along the journey."

"You will tell us now, so that we may properly prepare," Armuille stated. He was the intellect of the group, always learning through books and doing his research. He was also a fine alchemist, it was he who brewed the concoction that stilled the kraken, giving Dalious the time to fire at it.

"I do not know, if I had to guess, werewolves." she plainly said. "They have been slaughtering any travelers, and killing elves wherever they please. The smell of war has brought them from their darkness, and we need you to stop them for us."

Armuille left immediately to go study up on the creatures, forgetting to pay his tab and heading back to the sparrow.

"And the king is too busy to do this himself?" Dalious said.

"You will be paid greatly, if you do this."

"Now you're speaking my language, lass. By the way, we've been running from people all our lives." Dalious took a quick second to take another drink of his whiskey. "How'd a small elf-girl like you find us?"

"I'm very good at what I do, sir," she responded, a slight smirk on her face. She had been a hunter her entire life, there was no one or thing she felt she couldn't find. "Also word of you here came up after you killed the Griffin in Folkstead. How did you kill that Griffin, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Shot it down with a clean shot," Dalious answered. "Bernen here then cut its head off." Bernen purred, and Dalious stood up with a toast in mind for his men still awake yet. "We sail to Faestone then, ready the ship! This one will set us straight for life, mates. Cheers!"

They all drank shots.

The rest of the night was a blur for Dalious, but in the morning everyone was fresh and readied to sail. The elf Ardenelle had an elven ship of her own that followed behind the Sparrow, as the pirates and Dalious all sang a mighty shanty together.

Pirate's sea shanty

youtube.com/watch?v=bRLzfoySFWc

In three days time they reached the waters of the elves, their trees and structures a beautiful sight for all to see. Some of the pirates rode in to the city with their mouth opened, as they had never seen such magnificence.



When they ported, Ardenelle led Dalious and his quarter master, Armuille, toward and into the palace of the king. The others waited in the city itself, and were allowed to enjoy the marketplace and its luxuries as welcomed guests. Dalious and Armuille headed down the long hallway of the throne room, where at the end of it sat the elven king himself. To either side of him were beautiful woman, one that Dalious may or may not have known. He looked to Sybil, but he did not recognize her immediately, and instead focused his attention on the king himself.

"Captain Dalious Durendail and his quarter master, Armuille," Ardenelle spoke out to the king. "The monster hunters themselves, slayers of the kraken of Duhill." Ardenelle then took to formation with the other elven guards.

"Nice place you have here, your highness," Dalious spoke and gave a soft bow. "Let us quickly get down to brass tax, your grace. You want us to kill monsters for you, the answer is yes. If, you help us out as well..." Dalious fixed his mustache and combed back his hair with a free hand. "We are but brave pirates with a ship and two cats. We need an upgrade, and the support of the elves. Elven weapons and armor and a few things for our ship..."

"Eh, we need silver if we are fighting werebeasts," Armuille added in. "My research indicates that silver straight to their heart will kill them."

"And we need silver," Dalious said. "And also lots of ale."