Revenge of the Elven

Chapter 6

The dark entity swirled like black mist until it took a form which somewhat resembled a person. It was soundless as though moving on a plain parallel to their own. Taeril stood protectively in front of the elven woman as the dark entity moved towards them reaching out a hand as it did so reaching for them. Taeril spared a cautious glance towards the humans and their orc companion before he used some of his powers. He had no choice. His arms were enshrouded in a strange green glow and then it spread over his whole body and he fired all of it towards the dark entity pushing it back. The entity still made no sounds but appeared to be in distress. Taeril pushed forwards as the others stood watching astonished at the amount of power he had just used. He did not even appear to tire. The entity soon retreated and vanished.

“Thank you…” the female elf muttered behind him and he went back to her to ensure she was unharmed. Arlan stepped forwards in front of Varrell.

“Did you… see that? Did you… did you feel that power…” Arlan’s own words trailed off and Taeril stood from the female elf, his golden eyes glared over to the warlock. “He’s dangerous,” Arlan’s words now came as a harsh whisper. Taeril helped the elven woman stand and then walked towards Arlan but stopping far enough away from him so that the warlocks powers, should he decide to use them, would not reach him, he had already scoped the range of Arlan’s abilities during the attack.

“I have come this far, magic wielder, I will not let you stop me now,” Taeril said and Varrell came forwards now placing a hand on Arlan’s shoulder and looking to the elf.

“We won’t stop you, we came here to help you but what we just saw… a dark entity… your powers… what was that all about?” she asked.

“You think I or this elf summoned that dark entity? Do you not realise it is they who summoned it… the magic wielders summoned that… creature… this woman was to be host!” Taeril raised his voice.

“That’s ridiculous!” Arlan protested.

“There is no time to discuss this here, we must free the others but I am done allowing your magic wielding friends to aid in this! I feel this one is just waiting to stab me in the back or clap a collar around my neck!” Taeril hissed. Varrell looked from Arlan to Kessa.

“Arlan has a right to fear your magic, we all felt the power of it… the intensity but we will do as you wish, Arlan and Kessa, please return to Marrengate. We will all meet at my house later this evening,” Varrell said and they both obeyed.

“If you… if Varrell gets hurt I will hunt you down and destroy you!” Arlan hissed before they left obediently. Varrell, Decan and Taeril headed further into the cave where it opened up into various crevices used as rooms. Further in there was a large opening and there, cages filled with elves. They all looked exhausted, drained and malnourished. Even if their powers were so dangerous, this was not right, what happened here, Varrell knew was wrong and unjust. Varrell took an axe from her belt and busted open the locks to the cages, Decan following the action. Varrell then looked around to find Taeril at a table and bookshelves, flitting between them. She thought he would be more interested in his freed brethren of which she noticed none moved even an inch. They barely acknowledged the fact their cages were open.

“You are free, why do you just sit there?” Decan asked. One of the elves slowly looked to him.

“Why leave? We have nowhere to go, we are still collared and will only be captured again,” he said. Varrell went to Taeril as he ferociously rummaged about the various tables and bookshelves, tossing books aside.

“They refuse to move, Taeril, they have lost all hope,” she said.

“Of course they have!” he snapped, “their spirits are broken,” he swiped the table clear and growled in frustration. “It’s not here!”

“What isn’t?” she asked.

“The… the little book with all of the symbols!” he yelled looking desperate.

“What is it called?” she asked.

“I don’t… I don’t know… I would just recognise it if I saw it. It is like a pocket book, leather bound and the symbols practically glow! It might prove the injustice of my people and stop it from going on!” he yelled frantically.

“What are we to do with all these elves?” Decan asked and Taeril almost seemed to snap out of his current state.

“I… entered the city through what used to be smuggling tunnels though they looked as though they had not been used in some time. I found and underground hideout there. I thought I would keep them there and nurse them back to health and also… look for the evidence I need to free my people from this hell we are forced to endure,”

“Your people will never be free, elf, it is just too much of a risk to the rest of us,” Decan said stepping forwards. “Your people unleashed those dark entities on the world that is the reason your power must be controlled,” Varrell said and Taeril’s eyes held distrust as he looked from the orc to the human.

“Why would you help me free my people if you believe we are dangerous and that we should be controlled?”

“Because you said they were being tortured, you said they were suffering, and we cannot abide that.”

“You contradict yourself, human, you believe we should be freed from this suffering here and now? What of all the other elves out there, enslaved, collared and defenceless, ill treated day and night? Do you not see the way my people are treated daily as an injustice? It is wrong. It is no better than slavery! Clapping collars around our necks often tight enough so we can just about breathe! Collars that hinder our natural and benign powers out of fear, but it is not fear it is envy for our is a power human can only covet!” he snarled.

“I think he’s crazy,” Decan whispered to Varrell who began to think the same.

“I am not crazy; you are just ignorant and brainwashed.” He said and walked away from them towards the elves inside the cage. Suddenly a scream sounded through the pathways of the cave and Taeril was off as quickly as a lightning strike, Varrell and Decan following swiftly behind. It was the elven woman they had rescued. Taeril had stopped in his tracks. The female elf was levitated off the ground head and arms back but nobody else was in sight. She appeared to be enshrouded in that same mist the entity had been and suddenly she transformed. She no longer looked elven… or more accurately a twisted version. Her eyes were darkened, her skin had dark veins stretching through it like growing moss under her skin, toxic moss or thorned branches. Her hair had become mist that flowed behind her and she stood another being altogether.

“It… came back it has taken her,” Taeril muttered and then went to use his powers once more but the dark entity fused with the elven woman was more powerful and she directed his powers back onto him so fast even he did not have time to dodge and he was thrown back. The entity then seemed to use an unseen force to pull him towards her then gripping him and holding him up by his throat. As he struggled Varrell did not think twice she pulled her blade and ran for the entity against Decan’s warnings. As she ran forwards Decan noticed another swirl of mist begin to appear and it seemed this mist… this new dark entity sole target was Taeril. Varrell ran up behind the possessed elven woman and thrust her blade clean through her body, causing her to release Taeril and the other entity, not yet fully formed disappeared completely. Taeril dropped to the ground gasping for breath and looked about frantically for the second entity but it appeared it had been banished. Varrell pulled her sword free and the elven woman… or what used to be the elven woman bled profusely but it was not red blood it was a viscous black substance pouring from the wound and soon her form began to crumple as though no longer a solid form. Varrell helped Taeril to his feet as they watched the creature die.

“It was not fused properly because we interrupted the process,” he muttered.

“Are you alright?” Varrell asked him and he nodded.

“We must get my people to safety through those caverns… the tunnels,” he said, and she agreed.