Fable - Ask Kindling Before A Flame

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Shael

Shael

Ranger
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The three bodies hanging from the tree had once been elves. The scent of burnt flesh assailed her nose and still she couldn’t look away. She had known them. She had dined with them. She had fought with them. What had it all been for? They now dangled lifelessly like sick ornaments to showcase an Anirian victory. They were in the woods not too far outside of Vel Anir. It had been foolish to strike so close.

“We should go.”

Shael didn’t look away, even when the elf next to her fidgeted uncomfortably. Her jaw tightened and her fingers tightly gripped the blade in her hand.

“I can’t leave them here.”

“Shael, this is a trap,” The male elf hissed at her, “Can’t you see they’re using this as a lure? There’s nothing we can do for them now. We’re no good if we’re dead!”

“They were my friends, Eiflyn,” Shael turned to gaze at him, “We have to cut them down and take them home.”
 
Davios Agarwen would be wearing his usual all black robes as he moved through the forest at a half decent pace. His black robed hood hung over his head covering his face as his white spikey hair was concealed as well. He had a couple small daggers concealed down by each boot and his usual carry of a two handed axe on his back. He was hunting, hunting for Elves on the above surface. The Drow guard would have quarrel with any whom never carried the banner of which he fought under.

The Black Guard being more of the extreme banner but Davios spent more time on his own lately doing his own justice. He was tipped off by certain individuals who were on the surface realm providing information to those below. Who exactly? Didn't matter currently. The fight between those of Vel Anir and the Elves was no concern of his. Hopefully they would dwindle the numbers for the underground.

Davios would continue his faster pace as moved closer to the last known area the Elves were causing havoc in. His foot steps quiet as he pushed further into the dark eerie woods. He was on edge but looked calm as everything above ground was unknown but many didn't take to kindly to Drow or Elves in general so he had to tread lightly.

His yellow eyes scanning ahead through the myst that hung low around his ankles as the smell hit him first. He knew this smell all to well. War and death above or below made no difference in smell. The burnt flesh of human or Elf he never knew but it gave him a more tuned direction to follow as he pressed on even quicker. "I must be getting close."
 
Shael easily hoisted herself up on the tree, bringing out her knife to begin cutting through the ropes. Eiflyn stood below so he could catch them gingerly as they dropped. The first body fell quietly and he gently set it down. Shael was working on the second when her keen hearing picked up some noise. The moon was a large, silvery disc and the skies were clear enough to bathe the lands in light. From her perch, she could see far out beyond her immediate vicinity, but her eyes were still not as adapted to darkness as a Drow’s.

“Do you hear that?” She asked as she felt that familiar uneasy chill down the back of her neck. She could hear movement in the distance, and it sounded slightly different than the normal sounds she heard this time of night. As a creature of the woods, she knew every noise in this forest and could sense the subtlest disturbances. The critters stopped calling as they normally did and even the crickets grew quiet for a moment.

'We’re not alone,' She used hand signals to communicate down to Eiflyn, signaling for him to find some cover.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Argarwen would continue to move closer until he was a safe distance to see bodies hanging from what appeared to be a tree. The higher elevation of the tree to the big moon made the lighting much much easier for him as he put himself tight to a tree and watched quietly. His eyes scanning around the bodies and around as he figured they must have just been dispatched before his yellow eyes picked up what looked to be a male elf taking a dive into cover as it seemed the Drow was compromised.

A slight smirk forming on his lips as Davios thought to himself. "Like rats." he thought of the scurrying. He would continue to look as he noticed two of the bodies still lay hung and one rope was cut with the top still secured around the tree but no body at the end except a dangling rope end.

"He cut a body down that quick and scurried down the tree to cover? Impossible..He must have friends." Davios thought to himself as he now he needed to figure out where were they or how many. Logically he would keep a close eye on the tree if they had cut one down but he wasn't sure if there was more. The eerie silence keeping in as Davios listened for movement. He knew it would be a stalemate as one already took cover and was probably waiting for his movement.

Davios thought of his options for a moment. He never gave a hostile presence but they were already on edge, maybe to play the advantage? "Hm." Davios thought as his eyes scanned in the dark fairly easier. Deciding on a plan he would slowly pick up a stone by the tree base and hurled it low in the direction off to his right away from the group. Purposely aiming for the low part of the tree as once it connected and hit the bark with a loud pang, Davios would shoot up the tree and keep himself in cover to see even better.

Shael
 
Most elves were cautious and wary. Shael, however, was known to be more aggressive. She had no tolerance for anything remotely suspicious. If they hadn’t announced themselves, they were an enemy. Within moments, even before the rock was launched, Shael drew an arrow and nocked it, firing it straight towards where she saw the movements.

“Come out! I know you're there!” She hissed out in accented common tongue at whoever it was, keeping on her perch. She was angry now, keeping her vantage point and nocking another arrow. She wasn’t sure if she hit anything, but she would continue her assault.

Eiflyn, on the other hand, made his way as discreetly as possible towards where the rock hit the tree. He drew out a blade, the two elves taking different approaches to dealing with the intruder or multiple intruders. Shael was still unsure how many there were or what it even was. For all she knew, it was a beast of some sort but she doubted that based on how silently they moved.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would smirk a little as an arrow zipped directly past his hand. The flight of the arrows wind brushing against it as he still managed to scale the tree in the night in the cover of the bark. Davios scaling the backside of the tree out of her direct sight as he made his way to the top in the thicker branches and bushes as his yellow eyes scanned to his sides as being higher gave him the advantage point of seeing the other elf coming onto his flank with a blade now in hand.


The constant of arrows hitting the lower part of the tree opposite his side from the Elf as he now knew where one was located and what she had. His yellow eyes seeing the flanking elf closer and closer. Davios already came up with a decent plan as he pushed himself into the thicker part of the branches letting his body remain still and almost deadset he would wait with his yellow eyes for the other Elf on the ground to come get closer.


Closing the gap bit by bit as once he was in well reach, Davios would snap the smaller branch below him and let the branch come down in a quick swoop. The size of the harmless branches making it hard to roll out from the fall as once the branches landed on him Davios would plunge with it to mask his fall back to the floor.

Seeing the blade in the Elves hand from his initial movement as the bigger and stronger Drow would connect his forehead into the Elves nose while letting his hand grab his wrist to block the movement from using it and his other free hand bringing it across to smack it out. If it all worked out well Davios would have the blade in one hand and the male Elf in the other with branches around them.

Shael
 
Shael gritted her teeth as she realized she wasn’t hitting anything. She didn’t hear any grunt of pain or hear any kind of thud. She crept closer to the edge of the branch, convinced there were at least two or three of the intruders with how expertly they were moving. She focused another arrow and that’s when she heard the commotion. She heard a yelp of pain and knew Eiflyn was in trouble.

Meanwhile, the elf on the ground was entirely caught off guard. Night time was always when the Drow would have the upper hand and it played out exactly as the underground elf planned. Eiflyn reeled from the shock of having a broken nose, blood oozing down his face. His weapon was quickly taken from him, his vision blurry as he stumbled back.

However, all the commotion had drawn Shael to the scene. She leapt from the branch, dropping into a tuck and roll to quickly close the distance. Eiflyn was on the ground, quickly scrambling to orient himself. Shael paid him no heed for now, her sights on the intruder.

Drow?! What the hell was a Drow doing this far out? She wasn’t aware of any entrances to the Underdark from here.

Without hesitation, she threw a knife directly towards the Drow’s shoulder in an attempt to stop him from attacking her ally. Shael rushed towards the Drow to close the distance, drawing a dagger in each hand as she was more primed for close combat.

Unbeknownst to everyone there, a party of mages set out from Vel Anir to patrol the perimeters for any elf activity. Any and all kind of elf was on their target list.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would have the other elf at knife point now and busted his face up with Davios's forehead as the combined blood rushing down, pain, the bushes and night made it hard for the normal male Elf to see what came at him so quickly except yellow eyes. Davios was about to plunge the knife into the Elf before he felt the puncture of a blade hitting his shoulder.

The pain never set in as the adrenaline was deep but the knife remained in his hand as when it hit him he would instantly grab the male Elf and spin him around to the direction of the dagger as the footsteps coming at a rapid speed showed the other elves direction. The knife would press against the male elfs neck as blood drew a bit from the tip as Davios held the male Elf tight to him with him facing the female like a hostage.

Davios played this game before and kept tight so the male elf couldn't move and try to kick or use arms to hurt Davios. His yellow eyes and robe still over his head as it almost looked like a demonic spawn staring out from under the hood as Davios's deep drow voice finally broke the silence. "Move one more fucking inch and I promise you he will drop before you get to me."

The bigger drow keeping the blade tight to the Elfs throat as the bloody face and broken nose was all she could really see well besides the yellow eyes peering just slightly behind his head. The Drow wasn't going to gamble at all. She simply even twitched he would have that steel deeper in that Elf's throat than her reaction time. Blood began to trickle a bit down his back from being hit in the shoulder.

Shael
 
To say that Shael was furious was an understatement. She had her grip on her blades, but she knew she couldn’t move quicker faster than the gutter rat could cut a smile across Eiflyn’s throat. A part of her was annoyed for even bringing him along. She had known Eiflyn was a little greener and not as experienced as a Ranger. She kept her gaze on the Drow, disgusted at the sight of him, though there was a bit of satisfaction from seeing the knife wedged in his shoulder. They were all untrustworthy and no better than rabid dogs.

Her jaw tightened as she saw the trickle of blood from Eiflyn’s neck, the fear in his eyes clear. Shael finally lowered her weapons, gazing into those animalistic yellow eyes of the Drow.

“What do you want?” She asked sternly in the Common Tongue, surprised the wretch could speak it at all. Normally Drow men were submissive around all women, but this one clearly had been venturing along the Surface long enough to forget that obedience.

“We have you outnumbered up here,” It was partially a bluff, but mostly true. She knew the call to make to alert the other Rangers, but it ran the risk of drawing out dreadlords as well.

–​

“Do you hear that?” One of the mages asked as he paused. They were used to patrolling around Vel Anir, and they had been trained to listen for anything suspicious. The other mage stopped walking, staring at the other man.

“Elves? This close to our walls? They’d have to be bold indeed…”

“Let’s get a bit closer.”

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would look at her with his yellow animals. Not flickering as he could see the disgust and anger in her face. Davios would watch her for a moment as she lowered her weapons. The blade still tight to the male elfs throat as he listened to her almost hiss of a tone towards the drow. "I've come to the surface to wage a war against the surface kin. Of all creeds." He said in a rather determined tone.

His eyes continuing to look at her as she stated the obvious. What she never knew was he came up here by himself to scout. Mingling among the cities and roads of those who didn't care or have a thing against Elves. No one knowing his cause as Davios knew very very well he never had allies up here which left him out numbered.

Davios seen her lower her weapon as once she did the Drow would let the blade rip across the male elfs throat. Severing the jugular and opening the neck up 2cm in width and 6-8 inches across with the quick swipe as the immediate spurt of blood would fly into her at a high speed as the jugular was severed and went out the way the cut was opened facing front. Shael wouldn't have much reaction time to a high spray of warm blood as when the blade was slicing through the neck.

Davios would step back and kick the body forward as it spilled its blood all over her. The limp body flying at her as he would reach for the dagger she put in him with his opposite hand and give it a toss right towards her. With his better eyesight he made a shot to severe the string of the bow on her back that slung over her shoulder.

The lifeless eyes of the male elf facing her the entire time after the cut as Davios would quickly pull the dagger from his boot to move towards her before the pair were interrupted by the mages who had now spotted them.


Shael
 
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“No!” Shael cried out as the Drow sliced across Eiflyn’s neck. She wasn’t as slow as he may have expected, however, and she closed the distance before the body ever dropped. She whirled in with her dagger to aim at his neck, putting him on the defense. He would have to drop the body and stumble back to engage her as she flew into a rage. She despised herself for ever lowering her weapons, for ever thinking a Drow could be reasoned with, for ever questioning what the rangers had taught her about their underground cousins.

Almost at the same time, the mages stumbled across them. Both dreadlords were shocked at the sight of spotting a surface and underground elf, but this was stumbling into gold. While the elves were distracted, a massive concussive blast fanned out to send both of them sailing into a tree. There was a painful thud as both elves slammed into the tree, but Shael didn’t even focus on that. She was sent tumbling against the infernal Drow, but she only saw red.

Even in their tangled mess, she attempted to grasp at the knife in his shoulder to twist and plunge it deeper as the dreadlords prepared their next assault on the elves.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would let the body collapse and roll back to stop the quick gap in distance she was trying to gain as he lay kneeled on knee from the roll letting a dagger come up from his boot in his hand as he was prepared for her push on towards him and let him drive the 4 inches of steel up through her jaw and past the roof of it.

The yellow eyes of the drow about to connect into the fray which both were ready to get into before a third party entered and sent him flying into the base of a tree as he hit it hard. Unexpecting and Davios wasn't prepared for the attack as he still found himself tangled into a mess with the female Elf that seemed to let her rage control her.

As they were tangled together, the proximity was to close for any real combat as the best Davios could do was grab her wrists with his own hands to keep her reach away as the tangled mess was of legs and cursing by the pair. Davios would have a more annoyed face if anything as he continued to battle her wildness and flailing hands as they were approached.

"Hate to break it to you, but you better think of a better f--king PLAN!" he bellowed as the mages now were closing the gap and already half circling them.
 
Her body hurt from the collision, and she felt the Drow grasp her hands to stop her from doing any real damage. Her real victory, however, came from her rolling to the side in a way that managed to shove her knee right up into his crotch. It wasn’t even intentional, but he would probably see some stars. Shael had no idea it even happened, her focus solely on attempting to stab him.

The mages watched for a moment, perplexed. However, one of them quickly acted and compressed the air to draw it away from the elves. As a result, both of them would be left gasping for air. Shael finally peeled herself away, clutching at her throat as she stumbled away from the Drow. The mage stood there calmly, watching both elves struggle to breathe. The dreadlord kept that powerful hold on them, keeping his distance.

“Monster…” Shael gasped out as she gazed at the Drow, her vision beginning to get blurry. She could only focus on the demonic yellow gaze that glinted under the moon and the rage that coursed through her veins like lava. Her head grew heavy and dizzy, and she felt herself get limp.
 
Davios Agarwen would've took the accidental knee to the groin as he almost bit through his lip from the sudden pain but managed to stew quietly with heavy breaths as he felt his sack leave his existence and into the next realm. His eye would twitch as he was going to drive his forehead into her face from the brawl but suddenly the mages began to take the air away from them like a pocket surrounding them.

The Drow would gasp for air as he finally let go of her as he stumbled away as well. One hand on his throat as he attempted to stand up and let his hand reach out in a weak attempt to grab one of the mages as the Drow barely went 2 feet before he collapsed on his knees. The blackness began to creep in around him like a closing curtain as he began to feel himself get lightheaded.

Before the darkness took him into slumber from the lack of oxygen he still managed to raise his middle finger weakly to the female elf behind him as he collapsed on his side. Out cold as he lay there like a ton of stone. Once being knocked out the mages would make their way in when it was safe and immediately begin to bound them.

One mage would bark at the others who were tying them up. "Take them back to headquarters. Put them in the cells." he said sharply as the mages began to carry the limp bodies away.

Shael
 
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She groaned as she came to, no idea where she was. The cell smelled awful, and she squinted through the dizziness she felt in her head. At first, she spotted a skeleton in the corner, suggesting that the other prisoner had died and rotted in here. The soft scurrying of rats could be heard along with an incessant drip of water that would drive anyone crazy after a while. She had manacles around both her wrists and ankles to prevent her from going too far away from the wall. Whatever magic was forced on her had lingering effects and she felt queasy.

“Ughhh…” Shael groaned as her vision began to clear. That was when she looked across and spotted that infernal Drow. They were chained far enough to where she couldn’t reach him, but it didn’t stop her from lurching at him. She promptly toppled and fell on her stomach with a grunt, immediately testing the reach of her chains. Not once did she think about her predicament or the mages. All she wanted was to tear the dark elf apart and gouge out those sickly yellow eyes.

“Why did you do it?” She growled as she slowly eased back to sit, finally defeated, “Why did you have to kill him? Our quarrel wasn’t with you. Are you that incapable of logical thought that you’re no better than a feral animal that kills on sight? What does it get you?” Shael snapped, her chest rising and falling rapidly as pain laced her voice.

Davios Agarwen
 
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Davios Agarwen would come to slowly. The blackness that once took his vision momentarily now seemed to be fading itself back as his eyes battered slowly. Blurry and hard to make out shapes as his vision came back and more clear. The sounds of chains clanking and rapidly moving as he would look over to the female Elf that was overtaken with rage again as she attempted to make a go at him again.

Davios lay quiet and shackled the same as her as he would scan around the room for a moment. His yellow eyes taking in the skeleton and rats scurrying around the damp dark cell as her words continued to fly in his direction. His breathing becoming quiet as he was thinking of ways to get out of the cell. Ignoring her questions and comments about him.

Davios would finally give in as he knew her questioning and rage wouldn't stop until she most likely had an answer. "You fire arrows at me approaching you. I take your friends life." he said flatly without a single hint of remorse as his eyes would scan the chains that bound him. His casual head sway of looking around as he continued to speak without looking at her, as if he was trying to plan and talk at the same time.

"I'm at war with all of those who use the surface as their home." he said with another lack of remorse in his voice. The Drow was deeply trained and routed in his clans culture of war and death. The greater cause to take war to the surface realm and make the Drows great again and not abandoned beasts put underground. The stirring of footsteps and talking could be heard from over a long set of stone steps that lead to the cellars.

Shael
 
Shael scoffed at his response, “Anything in the forest rushing towards you intends to kill you,” She said grimly. Elves had hesitated before only to be mauled by some great beast or by a mage. Yelling at him wouldn’t solve the problem - he was no better than a mindless beast himself. She withdrew back and sighed, resting her elbows on her knees as she gazed through the bars.

“Our war is with the mages,” She said quietly, “Drow are irrelevant. The mages butcher elves without prejudice.”

She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for Eiflyn. Such was the way of Rangers - they knew what they signed up for. After a moment she opened her eyes again, staring ahead as the footsteps echoed. The door opened and a mage walked in, surveying both elves. He walked towards the Drow first, and he applied magic that would suddenly immobilize the male elf. That included the ability to blink. Without warning, a bright and searing light appeared in the mage’s hand.

As a Drow, the pain would be beyond words, the glare of a thousand suns directly into his eyes and right where he was weakest. It would torment his whole being, the searing pain of pure agony and leaving him without the ability to look away from it.

“What gate did you use to come to surface from the underrealm? How many of you are there? What is your plan?”

Shael said nothing, horrified at the display as she drew back against the wall. What means of torment would they use on her?

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would continue to hang there like a helpless peasant as the Drow continued to scan around as he finally looked over at her. "I Don't care. You fire at me, I kill you." he said simply as she seemed to give up her anger. Her comment not seemingly to surprising for him as he said flatly. "Everyone butchers Elves, it was that way forever. Drow are thrown into the underrealm long ago because your kind of surface Elves felt threatened. Don't talk to me about prejudice.". Davios would leave it at that as what she never knew was he left the under realm with his clan for some time and didn't uphold their standards.

The yellow eyes would continue to scan around. From the whole scene of being taken his clothes were half tattered and ripped as his white tattooing and markings etched on his skin and ran up his neck to his face. The light and hood off him really showing the Drow as his white hair hung like he did from hanging off the shackles for a moment.

Davios would look up faintly to see the Mages come in as he suddenly felt his entire body go numb. The Drow's eyes fixed on the light as it rose from the Mages hand and the pain would begin to sear his body. Like a thousand blades driving in his eyes as instantly he began to yell. Saliva shooting from his mouth from his screams as the questions began to fire out rapidly and fiercely without remorse at his pain.

"Rot in-" The Drow barked and before he could finish the light intensified from the Mages hand as Davios screamed in a rough yell again as his eyes began to turn bits of red from blood vessels breaking. Sitting still in the shackles as the Mage asked again. "How many of you are there!" The Mage barked again in a demand.

Davios still only having function to talk when they were done the question he would spit in their direction before the light came back to him. His body still frozen as his eyes remained bloodshot.

Shael
 
A part of Shael was drawing sick satisfaction from the display. Every cry from the Drow was music to her ears for what he did to Eiflyn. A small, louder part of her, however, was worried for what would come for her. She had been trained on resisting mages, but she had never been through it personally. She had been captured by warriors that had cut at her, but she had been spared the effects of magic.

The mage chuckled in amusement at the spit, wiping it off his face, “I love it when they put up a fight,” He grinned as he shined the light once more. It would continue until the Drow’s eyes began to bleed, crimson tears streaking down his obsidian skin.

Shael watched it all, but after a moment she looked away. In truth, she had no deep-seated hatred for Drow. Whatever happened between their people thousands of years ago was none of her concern. Her war was always with the mages that hunted them relentlessly each and every single day, the mages that refused to allow the neighboring elves to establish and live in cities and forced them to scurry like rats in the woods. She closed her eyes and exhaled softly as the torture continued and she heard the dark elf’s cries of pain.

After a while, the dreadlord decided he had his fun. He drew back and looked over at Shael, “I’ll have fun with you next,” He said with a sick grin before he strode from the cell.

There was nothing but silence. Shael didn’t have any snappy reply or quip for the Drow. She didn’t look at him. It began to set in just how much trouble they were both in.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen's screams never ceased as blood ran down his dark face. His eyes a contrast of red and yellow. His body now being released from the spell would be in a very tense position before letting go of the flex and his body hung limp with the shackles keeping him up on the wall. The eerie silence of the drip of water in the dark gloomy dungeon as hisses of rats squeaking and moving about in the darkness filled the void of the dungeon they found themselves in.

The streak of blood dripping off his jawline after running down his face before hitting the stone cold floor of the cell as Davios was fully awake and coherent but just quiet now. The searing light now taken away as his breathing was heavy but controlled. Slowly trying to bring his heart rate down as he hung in silence for awhile.

The silence remained as the footsteps would only come back after a period of time. The same mages would come waltzing in with the same evil smirks as they had their attention focused to Shael. As they moved towards her to cast the spell to paralyze her, Davios would finally break his silence. "Take me and...I'll..tell you." he said between breaths.

His yellow and now partly red eyes looking at the mages with a burning stare. As if all he had for a chance was to strangle one and slit the mages throat and haul the tongue out of the jarring opening he would've but for now Davios hung there. "Very well. Take him to the other room, it won't be just his eyes we focus on." as they paralyzed Davios once more and unshackled him as they carried him away.

His limp feet dangling helplessly as they took him up the stone steps and upstairs. What Shael never seen was after bringing him upstairs in what seemed another weird section of a room lay a long wooden table with shackles bolted to it laying horizontal. They would place Davios down on it and shackle him on it before one began to immediately unparalyzed only the top half of his body.

"Now, how many of you are there?" as this time instead of waiting for the answer they would begin to heat up a dagger and began to press it against his lower side of his stomach as the smell of sizzling burnt flesh began to float in the air. Davios would begin to scream more in agony as this time it seemed they just wanted to play with him than get any real answers.

Shael
 
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Shael watched the mages return and turn on her. She exhaled softly, preparing to face some sort of cruel torment. However, that was when the Drow spoke up. Her head whipped to the side, eyes widening as the mages scoffed and took him away. He was too weak to look at her, but if he did, he would see the stunned expression on her face.

For a long moment she was left in darkness and silence save for the sounds of her own ragged breaths. Within seconds she could hear the anguished cries of the Drow from far away, the sounds making her viscerally sick as she could only guess at what he was enduring. She tried to tell herself he deserved every bit of it.

She looked down at her own hands, recalling ways to break her own thumbs to ease herself out of manacles. Shael began to consider her options, beginning to put some strain on her bones when she heard some commotion. There was a lot of yelling and shouting and she could hear her native tongue, her gaze widening as she recognized some of the voices. She saw an elf burst into the corridor, rushing towards Shael as she slammed out with a concussive blast to take the cell door right off its hinges. Tailah was one of the esteemed magic users among the ranger ranks and Shael knew right away the heavy cavalry had been called in.

“Eiflyn is dead,” Shael croaked out softly as the elf Ranger stepped into the cell to hastily undo her manacles. The elf paused for a moment and then shook her head.

“Such is our way,” She said simply as she destroyed the chains, though the bracers were left on Shael’s wrists. The Ranger didn’t hesitate, springing to her feet and following Tailah from the cell and rushing out. Tailah led the way upstairs and Shael stepped past dead guards along the way. She already began to feel rage building up as she thought of creative ways to kill the mages that captured her. She had retrieved her weapons and the group of elves were making their way out.

On the way she paused as she glanced into an adjacent cell. There she could see the Drow from earlier still bound to the board. Even from here she could tell he had been branded like cattle, the stench of cooked flesh still lingering in the air. Shael’s jaw tightened as she glared at him before turning forward and walking away.

Minutes passed by and there was no movement as all the elves left the vicinity after their rescue was completed. The Drow would hear footsteps approaching and it was one of the mages that survived, sporting a wound to his side. He looked furious and he wanted to take his rage out on something and a bound elf was the perfect target.

“You..I’m going to carve you right up..” The mage croaked as he grabbed a knife and raised it. Before he could lower it, the Drow would see another blade abruptly protrude from the mage’s throat, driven cleanly from the back of his neck. The mage’s eyes widened and bulged as the knife fell from his trembling hand. The blade from his neck slowly slid back, the mage collapsing to reveal Shael standing behind him.

The Ranger stood there for a moment, not making eye contact with the Drow. She quietly walked over and struck the chain to free up one of the Drow’s hands. She picked up the keys on the nearby table and tossed them to the Drow, giving him the means to free himself. Shael briefly glanced over at him to meet his bloody gaze, her expression stern and rigid to convey that she never wanted to see him again.

Without another word, she turned and strode from the cell, disappearing from his sight.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would still be on the table as they managed to do a number on him in the time everything was disrupted. He lay there bare chested on the table with numerous burn marks on his stomach mixing in with his white tattoos and cuts as his reddish yellow eyes would be looking at the ceiling. He lay quiet as the commotion caused the mages to run around like madness and seem to forget him as eventually it became eerily quiet. Davios remained on the table in silence as he finally heard footsteps.

His eyes focusing on the mage trying to move towards him and brandishing a blade. Davios would have a grimace on his face to prepare for the filleting the mage was about to start for when he seen a blade stick out the center of the mages throat. It came from behind the surprised eyes of the mage focused on Davios before toppling over with the blade dropping to show the Female Elf from before.

Davios figured it was going to be even worse before he watched the chain be cut loose freeing one arm and the keys being tossed at him. His reddish/yellow eyes focusing on hers with an almost unemotional look. As if the soul was drained out of him entirely as she left him behind and was gone. Davios would slowly take his weak hand over and take the keys undoing the other shackle and doing his feet before he was free.

Stumbling over bodies as he could barely stand up and continued to hold onto walls and any fixtures he could as he made his way up the steps to what seemed to be a tower like section. Approaching the first window he seen and sticking his head out to see the water below. Knowing more would come he thoughtlessly threw himself out the window and into the 50 foot drop below to water. The heavy splash coming as he took everything he had to get to shore and trek off into the woods in the night..

*Two weeks later approximately.*
​
Davios Agarwen would find himself in the similar robes he had before. Though he stole these ones never the less it would conceal him as the weeks prior to his capture he was still recovering from the torture the Mages gave him. It mattered not as he would move forward and try to focus on the present.

Finding himself in the Elven city of Arlyle. The bustling Forest city would have Elves of all paths moving around in trade, work and everyday living as the dark colored Drow had seen others similar to his own kind though they appeared to have been bred below but lived above for some time.
 
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Shael still found her thoughts returning to Eiflyn even though he had been buried several weeks ago. As many times as she told herself it was the life of a ranger, it didn’t make the grieving process any easier. The others had moved on and Shael never went into how he died. In truth, she didn’t want to have hunting parties going around to sniff out Drow - they couldn’t afford that when the war with the dreadlords was on their doorstep.

Arlyle was a bustling trading city that welcomed all races. Even half giants and orcs wandered around the cities, stopping over to sell their wares. Shael was seated on a stump away from the main market square, the area slightly less crowded over here. She was admiring a new knife she had bought from a dwarf stall. It was the one to replace the blade she had lost in the altercation two weeks prior.

The Ranger was alone on this trip and she was taking a break away from the normal patrol duties. In truth, she needed some time away from the chaos and war she lived and breathed each and every day.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would have his hood up and leaving a tavern where he was staying at. His yellow eyes would have flicks of red in it now as the vessels couldn't fully heal which gave his look a more demonic glow to it. His white hair trickling his forehead and spiked as usual as he scouted around. He was on his own mission. Trying to find which cities to pick amongst for the rest of the clan as Davios would move his way to the market. His eyes shifting around as those amongst him went about their business paying no heed to him.

His eyes would soon catch the familiar ranger. The female Elf he ran into as she seemed to be admiring a weapon in her hand and was away from majority of the crowd just outside the market. Davios remained with the crowd to blend in as he watched her for a moment. Thoughts ran through his head, Kill her and end this little banter...But it was to crowded and she did...save him..In a regretful eerie way.

Davios would grimace for a moment under his hood. If his clan seen him now they'd be disgusted that he never just acted on it and killed her. His eyes continuing to scan her. Though she looked quiet and calm you could see her face of war. The friends she had lost and toll it has taken on her as the drow would turn to leave and go about his work before he stopped for a second.

Making his choice he would turn and head off as the city was built both on the ground but amongst the tall big trees with bridges and platforms stretching everywhere. Davios would continue heading up higher in the city as light broke through the tree tops shining down on the busy city as he went further up till he made it to a platform and stared out over it. His yellow eyes flicking off in the distance as he seen movement. Something was coming this way..

Shael
 
Shale was engrossed in the perfect engravings and fine crafting that went into the hilt of the blade. While elves and dwarves weren’t particularly friendly with one another, she couldn’t deny they did an incredible job with smithing. The faintest trace of a smile began to tug at her lips as she put the blade back in its sheath. She happened to glance up just then to spot a pair of eyes gazing right at her.

Yellow eyes.

She only caught a glimpse before they disappeared into the crowd, but she knew they gazed at her. From over the shoulder of another passerby. What was it about those eyes? They felt as if they were blades flung through the air to cut directly into her, chilling and traveling down in the form of a shiver down her spine.

Before she knew it, she sprang to her feet and began to walk briskly in that direction. She had lost sight of the eyes or the owner, a sea of people between her and whoever that was. There was something hauntingly familiar and she burned to know why.

Shale’s path took her up a curvy path towards the upper districts of the city. The buildings were more refined and luxurious here and it was clearly where the upperclass dwelled. The elf lost all hope of finding those eyes and she began to get a few glances her way from women and men dressed in their expensive attire and wigs. By comparison, she looked like a common criminal.

With an irritated sigh, she spun on her heel and began to make her way back towards the markets, entirely oblivious to anything approaching the perimeters.

Davios Agarwen
 
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