The port town. One day after Roshmi ball.The morning had come, a new day dawning. The sun shone brightly, to most it would be a good thing. For the farmers tending the fields, for the people going about their daily lives. Though to Carneylus the light wasn't exactly his ally, he had to wear a set of specially crafted visored mask over his eyes. Metallic in their nature, and dark hardened glass for his eyes. With these he could navigate around during the day decently, thought looking into the sun itself or very bright lights were still not a good idea.
As a demihuman of the batfolk variety, Carneylus prefered the night if he had to chose, even if the warmth that the day brought was refreshing. The last night's feast and discussion with Valaeon had gone about smoothly, even if the demidragon was expensive in the food department. To not show him hospitality was out of the question, and he did have some amas to spend. While not as rich as a noble or a merchant, the demibat had made the port town his home since many years ago. Long did he try to scrape together amas to travel to the flower kingdom to find his father, but as the times changed his attention shifted elsewhere to others in need.
Many were the thoughts that crossed his mind, of the humans which had come to their world, of the lich and the looming threat of war. The people of Avalia deserved freedom, but not only from Aklenroth but of other tyrants which were serving alongside the undead king. The orcish warchiefs, the elven governor and various others which had made life miserable for most. Yet raising ones hand against any such person would not be a task for just one person alone, there were many influencial and powerful people in Avalia. While he and Valaeon were indeed very capable combatants, there were others with far more influence, wealth and power than them for certain. Not to mention when it came to magics.
Yet despite all of that, he knew there would come a time to rise up and fight and that time was closing in. The past was a cruel yet effective teacher, it made the demibat strive to get stronger so that he could avoid things from his own past to repeat themselves. Carneylus was taken away from his thoughts as a caravan rolled into the port town, various farmers and common folk bringing their crops and harvests to sell at the marketplace. All had to earn their livelihood someway.
There was one specific wagon carrying crops that caught the attention of some dark elves as it rolled into town, they decided to stop it and inspect it, as if they were searching for rebels. What would they even look for? How could one tell a rebel from a non-rebel anyhow? The dark elves were nontheless still willing to display their authority over most others, in this particular case it was a wolflike demihuman and his elven friend that was stopped.
"You do realize that hiding rebels or aiding rebels warrants death right?" A dark elven man wearing plated armor asked the caravan driver, the dark elves always knew how to stir up trouble where there were none to begin with.
"Please! We have nothing to do with any rebels we are just here to sell our goods... please try to understand-" The wolfman spoke up to the dark elf, his facial expression clearly showing that he was worried.
"Shut your mouth!" Another dark elf carrying a spear yelled out as he began to stick the sharp end of the spear among the crops, spearing some of the goods.
"Hey stop! You are ruining our harvest! Brigands!" The elven woman which had accompanied the wolfman said out aloud, drawing attention of a few bystanders which seemed incapable of turning a blind eye to the display before them.
"Oh what's that? Well well, who'd knew that a moon elf woman had such a filthy mouth." A longhaired dark elven male in a leather armor said aloud as he walked up and took hold of the woman's hair.
"I should teach you a lesson. Heh.. maybe we should have some fun with you. Maybe we'd sell you to the orcs?" He snickered as he drew a knife and pointed it at her face.
"Let me go! Please- stop..." The elven woman pleaded, as the dark elves began to laugh one after the other. The wolfman got down on his knees.
"Please I am telling you we don't know about any rebels! Please let us go!" "I told you to shut up!" The heavily armored dark elf raised his arm and hand with the intent to slap the wolfman across the face. But his hand stopped as if frozen midair. The armored dark elf turned his head to look at his arm, where a hand was now holding it firmly in place. He seemed shocked momentarily, before it turned into anger as he set his eyes on the demibat which had grabbed his arm.
"What do you think you are doing?! Let go off me or I will gut you like a fairy!" The armored dark elf spitted out to the winged being next to him.
"I am only going to say this once. Get out of here." Carneylus said in a stern tone of voice, his dark eyes setting at the dark elf's crimson red ones.
"Why you cocky little shit!" The dark elf uttered and swung with his free hand towards the demibat, who caught his armored fist using the palm of his hand. The demihuman then pressed his hand around the closed fist and the metal began to buckle inwards and there was a snapping sound of bone breaking under it. The dark elf fell to his knees screaming as the demibat allowed his hands to slip off him.
"You bastard!" The spearwielding dark elf yelled out and ran forwards with his spear, whereof the demibat softly drew his saber from it's sheath and made a slight sidestepping motion to counter the dark elf's thrusting spear, before the bladed edge of his saber sliced up and through the wooden pole that was the spear. The dark elf quickly pulled the remaining wooden staff-like piece back, before throwing it towards the winged man who dodged it simply by walking slightly to the side.
"One more step and I will carve her up!" The longhaired dark elf yelled, pressing his knife against the elf woman's throat.
"You are a coward who hides behind an innocent woman..." Carneylus said in a serious tone of voice, his tone neither displaying immense anger nor spite.
"Drop your sword right now fool!" The longhaired dark elf demanded, while his former spearwielding companion drew a sword he had sheathed by his belt.¨ Carneylus took a slight breath and then threw his sword aside, raising both of his hands soon after.
"Wise choice dumbass..." The now sword wielding dark elf said as he stepped closer to his companion, which now threw his hostage to the side.
"Out of the way bitch. I am going to teach this beast a lesson..." The longhaired dark elf held out his free hand and began to use umbrakinesis, summoning dark vines to assail the winged demihuman. Carneylus wrapped his wings around himself quickly as he saw the dark vines shoot out and soon enough they enveloped him. Thorny and dark.
"Not so tough without your sword are ya?!" The swordwielding dark elf mocked as he glanced to his companion and grinned. The wolfman had at this point snuck under his wagon to hide and the elven woman took cover behind a nearby barrel.
"Not a bad coffin for you, winged idiot." The longhaired dark elf said in a satisfied tone as he ceased his magic, now looking at the vine covered 'pod' he had made in front of them. Then there was a cracking sound, then another one and finally the pod itself burst open as if it had exploded from the inside, as large batlike wings spread wide open as parts of the vines flew all over the place.
"What? Impossible!" The swordsman said aloud in a mix of amazement and disbelief at the sight of the demibat breaking out of the coccoon of vines.
"Fine! We'll do this the old fashioned way!" The longhaired dark elf rushed forwards with his knife, swinging it for the winged opponent who replied by slamming one of the wings right into the approaching dark elf, sending him tumbling backwards into trough filled with water for weary horses. His swordwielding companion soon took a charge of his own swinging his sword in an overhead motion, the demihuman simply sidestepped yet again, grabbing hold of the dark elf's wrist, guiding him forwards further so he would lose his balance, while stepping up beside him and using a flattened hand to chop him at the back of his neck. Causing the dark elf to fall to the ground uncouncious.
The fight didn't end there as the longhaired dark elf rose from his watery bed and the heavily armored dark elf which he had broken the hand of was now drawing a dagger with his other hand and attempting to stab the winged man. Carneylus wing made a slap in reply, sending the dagger to the ground and soon enough the dark elf's field of vision became that of an outstretched hand enveloping his vision and it closed around his face and he felt as if his head was being crushed by the pressure. But he was lifted from his feet and then hurled down to the ground with such force that he passed out even before he hit the ground.
The armored dark elf was dropped yet again to the ground and the man turned to face the last dark elf standing who looked less than happy to see him.
"I'll kill you!" The dark elf screamed and hurled himself in a fit of rage at the winged man, whereof both his wrists were grabbed in turn and then he felt the pressure of his bones beginning to be hardly pressed, causing him to drop his knife.
"Haven't you done enough already? Take your friends and leave us be." Carneylus said in an even more firm tone than before, squeezing the dark elf's wrists even further to the point he could feel how his bones were beginning to slightly become strained.
"Arghhh! Kill him! Kill this filthy beast and the king will-" The dark elf screamed out in pain and sheer rage, before his voice trailed off by the snapping sound of bones breaking. It didn't take long for the dark elf to be dropped to the ground and Carneylus bent down to pick up his saber, before sheathing it. How did things always turn out the way they did? He wasn't sure but what he was sure of was that he would never again watch the innocent be bullied or treated unfairly. With a nod of his head he motioned to the wolfman under the wagon and to the elf woman to continue along their way before calling for a healer.
While the dark elves were doing things which were no doubt evil, did they deserve to die by his hand as a result? He believed in redemption, perhaps it wasn't too late for them to do some good. All it took was to give them a chance. The chance he never got when he was young, how it seemed like his fate had already been written for him. And how things changed in time, he became who he was because of things that happened to him.
"Would someone be kind enough to bring these three to the healers or alert the healers of their condition? Thank you." He solemnly bowed his head to the onlookers before continuing to walk before he was stopped by the elven woman.
"Wait.. I.. thank you. I am sorry for putting you into trouble, If there's anyway I can make it up to you I-" The elf woman said softly, her feet touching oneanother as she was trying to come up with the right words.
"There is no need for that. Just be on your way before more of them show up." The winged man softly nodded his head to the elven woman, with a soft upturn at the corner of his mouth, giving her a single pat on her shoulder before continuing along his way.
