The War of Light and Shadow.....

[Maverick 40]

He rushed forward into their mists, uncaring and unafraid. There was nothing that would keep him reaching her, nothing short of the lord of death himself. The first blade swiped and the first claws reached when he disappeared into the shadows. Sliding upon his knees, bending his back just beneath the blade and under the lunge of the red eyed wolf. The moon elf then reappeared behind the first wave of vampire. He then drove his twin elven short blades deep within the back of the first blood sucker he saw.

The creatures eyes grew wide as it felt the tables turned upon its self, the blades drinking of the vampire's own life force. It swung around to slash its longsword at the living elf, only to reach air. The ducking elf stepped back then drove back forward while the vampire lye exposed. This time the both the elf's blades to drink. Then, suddenly he could feel the rush of air and hot breath as the red eyed dire wolf back upon him. But, just as it was to bare down a flash of white fur was all he could see as he let loose his blades and rolled back to avoid snapping jaws.

Laisren tumbled over backwards and watching his own companion, the white wolf Orlain, ram into the undead predator to break its lunge midair. Then suddenly arrows rained down all around them. Acid soaked, the kind the wood elf Slade specialized, followed by pure petrified oak, the kind used by the wild elves with great success.

The first line of materialized vampire were completely caught off guard as the Wood Elf Fhaeo slamed into their ranks with his shield and hammer. Following behind the blade dancer Vaelor, slashing and dancing through the wake of Fhaeo's charge. Laisren himself once more disappeared into thin air, leaving the vampire whom began to surround him confused and caught off guard. The unceasing volleys of arrows and the sudden charge of the warm blooded elves now left vampire suddenly off guard.

Before long, the number of undead defenders turned stunned and retreated back to the center of the temple. Laisren reappeared with the ranks of the attacking wood and wild elves. He closed his eyes and began speaking words in arcane, warding his companions and offering them strength for the coming battle. Across the temple lurked dozens, upon dozens of vampire, like a wall of death seeking to keep them from what lie beyond.

The moon elf opened his single blue eye, pulled forth his bow and took aim. He drew back the string and let forth his first volley of three fire arrows which struck it's intended target near unerringly. Then near two dozen other wild and wood elves followed suit as a rain of fire fell on the ranks of undead which opposed them. Laisren let out a battle cry as he let loose his next volley of shots, dropped his bow and took up his blades charging the vampires front line.

That was when he saw her, though it was not her, not as he had ever known her! She stood within the ranks of the dead, a crown upon her head, but pale and without life. Laisren began to slow, nearly stopping, as the first vampire ushered forth to greet him. "My love...", he said in a whisper of utter helplessness. He saw the Vampire rushing in blade, and fang but he slowed to a walk as he reached their rank.

"Laisren!!!", he heard a male voice call behind him but it was not the voice he hoped to hear as he continued toward the onrushing of death. Just as the first dozen vampire were to greet him, he entered the shadows. They swiped, blade and fang, in the air before him. He felt battle being entered as his wolf Orlain, the Guardian Wood Elf Fhaeo and Blade Dancer Vaelor began their assault, with the two dozen Dharashan and Wild Elves behind them. Laisren moved like an apparition through the ranks of the dead, moving once more to be with this woman he loved.

Then he was before her once more, the woman he told he would return for, if the Gods would permit but now he knew, he would not let even the gods stop him from returning to her once more! "Saline...", he whispered to her from the shadows but as she turned in his direction he did not see the bright hazel green eyes that were his loved one's but instead blood red glowering orbs. Still, somehow as he peered into ther eyes, they suddenly looked saddened. She spoke in his direction, "Laisren...?".

Suddenly her chest imploded from an impact of arrows, knocking the woman backward toward the ground. "NOOO!!!!!", Laisren screamed as he exited the shadows to rush forth and grab her before she hit the ground. Three arrows, those laced with acid protruded from her chest. "NOOO!!!!!", Laisren continued to scream as the last of the battle between elf and undead began to silence within this great hall around him.

Many elves rushed forth, only to be hushed by the sight of what lay before them. The death of the Queen, the woman they had all known, the woman whom they all loved but none more so than the elf whom now held her in his arms.....

The woman once known as Saline, as Queen of the Wild Elves, then looked up and spoke, "the..child...". Laisren could barely recognize her words as he lofted her up. Closing his eyes he called out the words in arcane give him the strength of a bull and to hasten his speed. He opened his one true eye, looked down at this woman he loved and ran for the rays of morning sunlit which rang through the great doors of this place of death.........

((to be continued))

[Maverick 40]

It had been a ten day since they had returned the Wild Elven Queen to the Dharashan village in the Misty Forest. There, the elders of the village took her to the Skyway Place and had commanded him to leave while they worked to restore Saline Ua Tiernan. Laisren had to leave her side, watching her body writhe and convulse as he exited the room. He paced back and forth outside the door as unnatural shrills and screams, like the ones called forth by banshee came from the room.

He attempted to enter once and was customarily removed by the guard at the command of the elders. So, there he did wait, just as this woman he loved had done for him those years ago. He waited for word that she was going to be alright, that she was going to be the same woman he loved. As the ten day passed, he did not take reverie, nor food. The Elders came and went, taking shifts in their care for the Queen. Laisren could feel their glares as they exited the room, each time, their eyes bore down in his direction. "Elder, is she alright?", he would ask in response but each time he got little more than a look of dejection.

Finally, the moon elf received his answer on the tenth day. Of the three Elders at Vigil, two stepped from the Skyway Place onto the platform outside. Laisren, whom was quietly sitting by the doorway, slowly stood. He seemed almost reticent to ask, "....is she alright Elde...", he began but Elder _______ cut him off, "Elder Silverleaf will see you now", he said curtly to Laisren. Laisren feared the worst but rushed passed them anyways, his eye welling up with tears. When he entered the room, their was a strong smell of incense competing with a pungent smell of mold and rot.

The Queen's body lay upon a bed, candles and incense burning at it's foot, while the Spirit Shamaness Silverleaf stood at praying by Saline's side. She lay there still but breathing, Laisren could see her chest heaving slowly. He rushed forward to Saline's side, opposite of the vigilant Shamaness, he took her right hand within his own and began crying tears of joy it. After a moment of silent wailing, he attempted look up into his former lover's eyes. Her large Hazel eyes peered back into his stoically, without emotion. They had shared this gaze a thousand times before he knew but for the first time watched her head away from him dispassionately to look in the other direction.

A great pain struck Laisren in his chest. He sat there speechless, his mouth open but not knowing what to say as she slowly took her hand away from his. He looked up at the Shamaness, as if she were to have some kind of answer but she herself remained still for a time before finally breaking the silence. The Shamaness turned her emerald gaze toward Laisren, her eyes seemed to bore down into the center of him as he sat there, his emotions laid bare as an exposed nerve. "She has been through much child of shadow", the Shamaness told him coldly.

Laisren did not know why she addressed him this way but he did not attempt to rebuke her. He simply listened, waiting for the prognosis of the Elder in the case of the woman he loved, this woman whom now spurned him. "If it not for the fact that my visions portent your nature not to be evil, you would not be here now", the Shamaness continued to speak enigmatically. "I don't understand.....", Laisren said, seeking the woman to further clarify her statement, though he did not know how to begin his investigation. "This woman's Bond has been severed from her Bondmate.", the Shamaness stated with an errant frankness.

Laisren looked perplexed at the Shamaness, before calling to Saline, "What does she mean....?". "I mean to say that her Bondmate is dead.", the Shamaness continued and the moon elf's gaze whipped back around on her. He stood their incomplete disbelief, was this really happening, was he dreaming, what was going on, he thought to himself as he fell back from the bed. The Shamaness looked back at the moon elf, her eyes tightening and watching his reaction.

"You did not know this did you, of course not....", she said, as her face contorted and head turned slightly to the side. "What an elaborate ruse, to create a shadow of a former person and not explain it's purpose but rather let it absorb the identity of it's origin", the Shamaness gaze turned back to the moon elf, as did Saline's. The Moon Elf crawled back up against the wall beside the bed, shaking his head disbelieving, grief distorting his already scarred face.

He was dreaming, what was happening, he wanted to wake, he wanted the throbbing pain which ached in his chest to stop. The elf sat there feeling as if he were underwater and gasping for air......

(to be continued)