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It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Elflider Forest. The sun shined through the thick canopy of trees, dotting the ground with spots of light. Birds whistled their siren songs, doing their best to attract a mate. Squirrels danced and played in the tree branches. All was peaceful and calm.

Until 8:45 on the dot.

"Halt!"

The Elf known as Rehu jumped down from the trees, landing on his feet with a graceful glip. He stood to full stature in front of the small group of men before him. Rehu was a very handsome, majestic elf. His long, golden locks were tied back into a ponytail, allowing two long strands to fall in front of his large, pointed ears. Two swords were strapped to either side of his waist, and a longbow and quiver on his back.

"You humans are about to trespass into the ancient Elven village of Kansanmurha. It is my ancient duty to protect my homeland and keep it free from mankind's blight. I will ask you only once to turn back." He announced. The humans were all silent and still. The one that Rehu assumed to be the leader, a portly, noble looking man mounted on a very healthy looking white stallion, plucked a monocle from his breast pocket and affixed it in place to his right eye.

Rehu cocked a brow. "Did you not hear me, sons of men? I said turn back! I do not want to attack you, but I will if need be."

The leader of the group moved to grab what Rehu could only assume was a sword from his back. That was all the invitation that he needed.

"As you wish then, I will show you the true might of my Elven ancestry. Have at you!" As the mighty Elven warrior crouched down into stance and moved to unsheathe his swords, a sound of thunder cracked through the air.

Rehu, a hole punched right through his forehead, fell over onto his back. The world turned black around him, and he was dead.

"Damn!" The man on the horse proclaimed, pulling the bolt back on his rifle to let the smoking bullet casing fly to the ground. "I had a perfect shot at his heart, but he had to go and move at the last moment. Now I've ruined his head."

"There there, Lord Brunswick." The thin, wiry man at his side said comfortingly. "I'm sure the taxidermist can fix that up for you."

"Let us hope so, Reginald." Brunswick said rather sadly. He turned his head and called to an orc who was waiting a few feet behind them, his neck and wrists shackled to a wheelbarrow. "Plov, come and collect my prize. Make sure you do not scuff it up, would you?"

Plov answered only in a rather fearful grunt as it moved to Rehu's body, tossing it into the wheelbarrow with little care.

"It was a good catch, sir." The other man of the group said to Brunswick.

"Thank you, Nottsby. It is so refreshing when you manage to bag such a nice one so early. Well, shall we continue our hunt, fellows?" Brunswick snapped the reigns and his horse began a slow trot, allowing Reginald, Nottsby, and Plov to follow behind him into Kansanmurha.

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The Council convened at the Tribunal, a large hut carved around the oldest tree in all of Elflider Forest. Only the wisest and most experienced Elves were allowed inside, let alone to have any say in the proceedings.

"We don't know where they came from." Councilman Kodpose said. "They arrived unannounced and without rhyme nor reason began tearing through the village."

"It is a travesty! We must act now with great force!" Councilman Blodsæk proclaimed. "This is just like I had predicted! I told you that these humans would come and try to destroy all of Elfkind! They are trying to overcome us and wipe out all of our advances."

"We may still be able to reason with them, yes?" Asked Councilman Punainen. "They surely cannot be completely savage."

"They ransacked our village and killed our citizens! We will not reason with them!" Blodsæk cried. "We are not weaklings! We are the proudest Elf village throughout the lands!"

"Pride comes before the fall." Punainen said calmly.

"Why you bastard!"

"Everyone, quiet." Commanded Grand Master Toukka, to which everyone instantly obeyed and fell silent. "Before we come to a decision, let us look at the facts."

"Right. From what we've been told, the leader of this gang has some sort of...magical staff." Punainen explained. "It's said that if he points it at you, it metaphysically opens up a wound somewhere on your body. Many times, it is fatal."

"Do you hear that, Grand Master Toukka? They are using magic against us!" Blodsæk proclaimed. "Allow us to access the sacred Elven magics of old, and we will repel these bastards with speed and vengeance!"

Toukka closed his eyes, silently contemplating the choices as he stroked his beard. Finally, he spoke once again.

"I believe that Councilman Blodsæk is right. These Humans have shown no sign of reason or thought. Therefore, I will allow the use of the Elven Mag-"

A crack filled the air as a bullet shot through the wooden exterior of The Council's chambers and into Grand Master Toukka's abdomen. He doubled over onto the table, blood pooling in his lap.

"Good Nature Spirits! They are here!" Punainen shouted. The Council rose to their feet, some running to the other side of the room, some running to see if Toukka was alright.

Outside, Sir Brunswick ejected the bullet's casing from his rifle.

"I definitely heard several barks. I think there may be an entire mob in there, though I can't see them even through that little window-hole." He observed.

"Alright, then." Nottsby ran ahead of the group and towards the oak tree. He jumped and caught onto a low-hanging branch, pulling himself up and rising to his feet. With a great show of acrobatics, he climbed all the way up to The Council and jumped through the window, rolling to a crouching position.

"Oh God!" Punainen cried as Nottsby unsheathed the hunting knife from his side. The agile hunter bolted towards him and slashed him from his groin all the way up to his solar plexus, sending the Councilman backwards and slamming against the wall. He screamed hoarsely as he watched his innards droop out of himself.

"Punainen! You bastard!" Kodpose growled, running towards Nottsby and trying to apprehend him while the human had his back turned. He flipped the knife around and thrust his hand backwards, slamming the blade right through Kodpose's throat. Feeling the serrated edge of the dagger catching on the Elf's neck-flesh, Nottsby gave the Councilman a good strong kick in the chest to jettison away, rolling onto the floor.

Blodsæk spared no words, instead screaming an intimidating battle cry loudly as he charged the human invader, his sword hid above his head. Nottsby, a little surprised as his prey having drawn a weapon, shoots his dagger out as block the attack. The two blades clang against each other, the force causing the knife to fly out of Nottsby's grip and roll to the other side of the room.

"I have you now, you son of a bitch!" Blodsæk cried, lifting his sword again for the second and, hopefully, final strike.

Nottsby would have none of that, however. He shot up like a spring and caught Blodsæk on the jaw with an uppercut, causing the Elf to drop his weapon this time. Before The Councilman could regain his senses, Nottsby was already behind him. He wrapped his arm around Blodsæk's neck, pressing tightly into his throat. The Councilman began to gasp and choke.

"I...I surrender!" He croaked, spitting drool all over the place. "I surrender! Take me as your prisoner!"

Nottsby held him for several seconds, silent.

"Please! I said I..."

Blodsæk's eyes rolled into the back of his head. His arms fell limp at his sides. Nottsby loosened his grip and grabbed the Elf by the head. He jerked his hands quickly, soliciting a quick but loud snap, before throwing the body to the floor.

Outside, Sir Brunswick watched intently for the instances that Nottsby would pass by the window during the slaughter.

"By God, I love watching that man work." He commented.

"Indeed." Reginald concurred.

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It was just past noon when Sir Brunswick, Reginald, Nottsby, and Plov left Kansanmurha. Plov's wheelbarrow was so full of Elf bodies that they threatened to all spill out at the slightest uneveness in the ground.

"Quite a good haul today, sir." Nottsby commented.

"A good haul, indeed. I think we shall be enjoying smoked sausages for quite awhile." Sir Brunswick smiled.

"Ahh, those are my favorite, sir." Reginald said, a certain delight in his voice.

"Then let us go home and prepare them, post-haste."

And with that, the group left Elflider Forest.

((I bump this thread in the name of America.))