The sea air filled Divine’s lungs as she inhaled deeply. A smile lining her lips as she leaned against the railing of the ship. “Are you ready for a new adventure on Revaliir?” A gentleman ask beside her. The man had made small talk with her throughout the entire voyage. With a nod, she turned to look at him. “Very. I am looking forward to all the new sites!” She said her smile growing. “Are you ready to be married?” She asked him. The question made him sigh, he turned away from her to lean on the railing, his eyes staring off into the distance. “What if she isn’t what I expect?” He said mostly to himself. “And what if you fall deeply and madly in love with her?” Divine asked nudging him a bit. A small laugh left the man’s lips. “I hope I do.” He said taking out the picture from his pocket.

"We're almost there… “ She said as she looked beyond the open ocean. Patting the man shoulder, she said what he needed to hear and what was true,“You will be a great husband.” With a nod, she left him at the railing and walked to the bottom of the deck. Her boots clicking against the wooden planks and her sheer dress swishing from side to side. It was only another day before she reach the new island. Her new home. Daeluin was a great place, but too many memories of the past lingered there. Her parents were gone now. There was no more reason why she should stay, she wanted to see the world. What better place than her Father’s homeland. She couldn’t wait to meet her Father’s family. Laugher erupted from below, her feet stopped at the last step, taking in the lovely people she would soon say goodbye too.

This voyage to the Revaliir had taken months and Divine had made many friends among the crew. She hoped she would meet them again someday. Walking threw the people who gathered down below, she smiled at each. Hellos were echoed as she walked past to her cabin. The Elf sighed as she entered her room and shut the door behind her. It had been a long day and it was time for her to rest. Laying down on her bed, her eyes looked out the small round window. Thoughts of her father’s family floated into her mind. What were they like? What would they think of her when she met them?

Soon her thoughts disappeared as her eyes began to close and sleep took her. Dreams of the past appeared in her mind. Her father and her at the lake, laughing as she messed up a spell and the water splashing on both of them. “I l—"

Before she could find out what was said, a huge bang woke the elf. Jumping out out her bed, the elf threw open her bedroom door. A gasp left her lips seeing the water raising up around her ankles. A few screams caught her attention making the young self run down the cabin. Before she reached the deck, the whole ship flipped to its side. Her own scream joined the other as the barrels and other objects fell around her. The water started to rush in even faster now since the ship was now on its side. “We need to get out now!” She called to the people around her. “When the ship sinks, the water will fill this area faster than ever!” She didn’t want to mention that they would all drown. That would scare them even more. Looking at the people around her, the fear in their face made her heart sink.

“Come on!” She said pushing herself off the wall, her and the other climbed over the debris. The water was now up to their waste as they moved through the cabin towards the only way in or out. Reaching the doors to the deck, water was flowing fast inside. Feeling the ship slightly move, the water elf guided everyone up the stairs. Looking back, her eyes scanned the area making sure everyone was out. A soft scream was heard from behind her. “Mike!” She called moving towards him, trying to be fast. The man that was going to be wed soon would not die on her watch.

Reaching the man, a fallen barrel had landed on his legs. “Get… out..of… here.” he said between coughs, the water raising up to his chest. “I will not let you die.” She said sternly and pushed the barrel, trying to make it roll off his leg. “AH!” He yelled. “I’m sorry.” She said as she looked down at the barrel. It was heavy, she had no clue what was inside but it sure was hard to push. “Go.” He said looking at her. “No…I need your help.” She said as she laid her hands on the wet wood. Nodding, he did as he was told and pushed the barrel off with her. The ship moved again with the sudden movement and it was slowly sinking even more. Helping him up, they both made their way to the entrance. A sudden pain on the back of her head made everything around her turn black making her body fall into the water.

~~~

The bright sun made the young elf awake, her eyes blinking up towards the sky. After a few moments, her eyes adjusted. Only to find two men staring down at her. Trying to move back, made a sharp pain grip her side. A laugh left one of the men looking down at her. “Look at you beautiful poor thing. Let Charlie help you..” He said kneeling down and touching her bare knee. Her sheer pale pink dress had hiked up to her thighs. Noticing this, the elf pulled back her legs away from the man and covered her legs. “Please, sir. Don’t touch me.” She said her eyes meeting his.  Her words only made the men laugh. Her eyes looked to each man. She was too weak to use her powers. Too weak to fight back. Her eyes went to the man still standing, his hand reaching towards the dagger on his on belt. ‘Sh*t’ She thought, she had to get out of this somehow. But her odds were not in her favor.

Arlin squinted against the sun’s glare and quickly raised a hand to shade his ice-blue eyes.  He looked down from his vantage point on a tall hill a few hundred yards away, making note of all the flotsam and jetsam along the beach before him.  It was obvious there had been a shipwreck recently.  The red-haired wood elf was torn between going down to the beach to rummage around for anything useful or valuable and just moving on with his travels.  His mind was leaning towards the latter.  Many tales circulated the world about the haunted Koschei Forest.  Enough tales that he was even drawn across the ocean from his homeland to this small island on the far side of Parvpora.  I must be bored way too often. But oh do we know how to party. Right, brother?  Shut up…  The elf felt his inner companion sigh, but thankfully remain silent.

Arching his back to stretch, Arlin made his decision.  He turned and began walking down the hill, keeping the coastline to his left.  There was supposed to be another village half a day’s walk south from what the locals in the last village had said.  Just then his stomach growled in a manner fit for a lion.  Ugh. I should have gotten more supplies from the last village… So hungry.  In an effort to drown out his stomach’s embarrassing gurgles,  he started whistling and lengthened his stride in an effort to move faster. 

His eyes never quite left the sea however.  It may be stereotypical of his race, but Arlin preferred the forests.  The sea was a monster in his eyes, though a beautiful one.  Its waves were mesmerizing as they flowed in and out, a clever ploy to hide the currents that could drown a strong warrior.  Those same pretty waves could turn into mountains crashing against ships in an effort to destroy the intruders in the sea’s domain.  Her storms were terrifying and the creatures hiding beneath her illusory surface were deadly.  Arlin felt no desire to ever explore the seas.  Crossing them took all of his courage as is. The mighty Harbinger, the terrifying berserker, a bringer of death to innocent and guilty alike… scared of a puddle.  How’d I get stuck with you again?

He ignored the voice and kept walking. Every so often his eyes would catch sight of a corpse washed ashore. They weren’t bloated yet revealing the bodies hadn’t been submerged long.  The presence of corpses merely garnered a shrug from the elf as he kept walking.  His heart felt no empathy for the dead, but dying at sea was not a method he ever planned to go out in so a small measure of pity for the dead was felt.  After a half-hour of walking, his gaze fell upon two figures moving along the beach.  Arlin watched them checking through random bits here and there that had washed ashore and even looting the drowned bodies.  These two stopped at one particular body for a while where one of the mean crouched down.  It was no business of Arlin’s, but his curiosity was piqued when the prone figure moved.  Alive?  Surprising. Not for long, probably.  Those two don’t look like the helpful type.  Neither are you, so leave it alone.  Unless you want to let me play with them? 

The redhead had already angled his approach after the prone figure had first moved. His gait remained the same and devoured the distance between them quickly. As he closed the gap, the elf saw the prone figure to be a slender, female elf.  His pointed ears picked up the few words spoken, and ice-blue orbs began to darken towards red. Oooooooh. They’re dead. Like…REALLY dead. Didn’t your dead lover get raped? Not a fan on that stuff, are ya? I’ll let you play with them then..  My gift to you, so let me play next time!  Normally he would make an attempt at stealth, but the sands beneath his feet made walking a chore and against two men Arlin felt no need to be quiet.  The man standing heard his approach and turned, his hand on the belted dagger.  Arlin saw no truly dangerous weapons on the man.  His kneeling partner seemed just as ill-equipped.  A dangerous gleam shone from Arlin’s eyes followed closely by a maniac’s smirk.

“Well, gentlemen.  Today  is the day you die.  Pray your souls have had enough time in existence. Our hunger must be quenched.” His words came out almost in a half growl as he slowly unsheathed the bastard sword at his side.  When the blade slid free, dark runes etched along the base glowed darkly as the air shimmered around the blade.  Food!?  I get to eat!  Brother, you’re the best.  The standing man opened his mouth but all that came out was “Who the fu-“ before Arlin launched forward in a blur of movement.  His sword cleaved the air in a rapid arc before Arlin drew his arm back and stuck the blade point first in the ground at his feet.  The man’s head hit the ground with a soft thud.  Headless, the body stayed standing for a moment before the knees buckled, pitching the body to the sand. 

The kneeling man, Charlie, stood up in shock and fumbled for his own weapon.  A dagger was in his belt as well but he had also managed to loot a cutlass from the wreckage. “YOU SON OF A B*TCH,” Charlie yelled out in fury as he charged towards the grinning madman.  Arlin watched the world move in slow motion before his eyes. His discerning gaze viewed the down-cut of the cutlass and a made note of the muscles in Charlie’s left arm twitch in a manner indicating a follow up stab with the dagger.  A blur of movement took Arlin in a side-step to the left while he brought the bastard sword up in a right-handed undercut.  Cursed metal sliced through the soft tissue of Charlie’s belly. The wood elf took two steps forward and stopped.

Charlie’s mind was confused as his legs gave out beneath him. The sand against his face was coarse but so soft at the same time. His mind began to wander just as metal pierced through his neck and darkness enveloped his mind.  Somehow he saw a vision of endless fields of stars before him and the vastness that lies beyond.  He felt a tug on his soul and began to follow.  Suddenly, his soul was pierced by agony and wrenched backwards.

Arlin had turned and was raising his sword before him.  The runes darkened further and a pulse began emanating from the blade, distorting the air around it. From beneath Charlie oozed a murky, undulating cloud that escaped out of his gutted stomach.  His companion’s corpse leaked the same gaseous substance from both ends of his severed neck.  Each cloud was sucked like a vortex into the sword in Arlin’s hands.  That maniacal grin widened further.  The souls disappeared into the blade and the runes dimmed until they disappeared altogether along with the air distortion.  Mmmm. Tasty.

Sighing, Arlin sheathed his blade and turned to the female elf.  His right eye was fully crimson while the left remained the usual ice-blue hue.  The crimson faded after a moment. Reaching his hand down to offer assistance, he spoke in a soft tone that no longer held the previous growl.  “Are you okay?”
 

 

The men before her didn’t budge, they were going to take what they wanted. She didn’t want to hurt them, she wished they would just go. Closing her eyes, she drew from the powers within her, she tried to have water form in her hand, but nothing happened. ‘What?!’ She thought as her eyes shot to her right palm. ‘I’m too weak.’ The elf had almost drowned and her powers were useless. This had never happened to the woman, the thought of being powerless scared the woman. You needed to defend yourself in this world if you wanted to live. The men had better plans than for her to die.

A scream left her lips as the man beside her pulled her ankle towards him, making her fall back onto her back. Using her other leg, she kicked with all the strength she had. The attack didn’t even make him budge. ”Stupid girl.” He said with a smirk as he grabbed her other ankle. “Get away from me!!” She yelled as she tried to struggle away from the man. It was always going to be a failure. Her body didn’t do anything that she wanted it to do. If only she had her bow, her dagger or even her powers, she could do something to get away from these men.  

Sounds of footsteps were heard behind them, her eyes shot to the man. She didn’t know if he was one of their own or a friend. His words silenced all doubt within her.  Her eyes watch him unsheathed his sword, a sigh of relief left her lips; knowing he was going to save her made most of the fear leave her.  Watching his swings of his sword, she watch it slice through the man’s neck. A gasp left her lips as she pushed herself back, she didn’t want the man’s body to fall on her. Next, Charlie was the next to attack. His life also ended and he drew his last breath.

Divine’s hazel eyes grew wide seeing the clouds of smoke leave the bodies of the men. They clouds made they’re way to the sword. It was almost as if the sword had taken their souls. ‘Demon sword?’ Divine thought to herself as her eyes moved from the sword to the man’s face. His ears caught her attention and she smiled, “Hantanyel órenyallo.” She bowed her head in thanks to the elf before her. He had saved her.

Divine didn’t realize till all the commotion was over that there were bodies that laid around the beach. A gasp left her lips, “No…” The people she had shared many days with and laughs laid around the beach.  Her eyes counted the bodies she could see and sighed, only some had washed ashore. Hopefully, they weren’t all dead. “Goheno nin….I couldn’t save you all..” She whispered as she bowed her head slightly.  

After a moment of silence, the woman stood up, struggling slightly. Her eyes turned towards the man again. Then towards the forest that lined the beach, a strange feeling came over Divine as she looked back towards the man. “If you please, good sir, can you please escort me to a nearby town or city? I don’t have the strength to protect myself just yet, as you can tell.” She asked and looked towards the forest again. “The forest gives me a bad feeling….”  She said just above a whisper. The woman sighed as she brought her hand to her head, maybe she shouldn’t have stood up so fast. A gasp left her as her vision darkened and her body fell into the sand.