Elehna felt the house below her move violently as the Dragon's head lashed straight for the tree house which Elehna was standing on top of. Just as it began to topple other, the young female elf felt something grab her, and protect her from the crash. They landed brutal on the froze floor, bits of wood flying everywhere as the home was completely destroyed. Her eyes had been shut tightly, only to reopen moments after they landed on the ground.

It was then she noticed someone furry had been holding her, so soft to touch. Elehna moved to look who she had landed on, only to see the weretiger form of Theodin. She gasped, moving off him and to kneel on the icy ground. Her hands ran through his fur as he moved to get up from the ground slowly. "Thank you, Theodin.." She said softly in a very grateful tone, wondering if he was okay. He couldn't speak but she tried to understand him. He seemed alright, his form was tough enough to stand the fall but she suspected he'd be sore once he transformed back.

She found him to be a very beautiful creature in his weretiger form. Admittedly, he was scaring looking when he fought but his yellow eyes were stunning and his fur was lovely to touch. Elehna knew he would never hurt her, even in his tiger form.

Snapping out of admiring his fur, the young queen soon realised there had been a family within the tree house and the dragon was still rawring loudly, yet it seemed very hurt and blinded. "Oh no! There were-" Before she could ever say it, Elehna saw the family running towards the village, their home completely destroyed. Sighing to herself, she got up and ran to her sword which had flown out of her hand during the fall.

Once Elehna had her sword in her hand, she decided it was best to quickly move out of the way. The dragon let out a large ball of fire from it's mouth, burning to remainders of the tree house and the ice around them, making it very slippy to walk on. At one point, the dragon lowered it's neck in pain as it shrieked. There was no way Elehna was able to run over to it in time, so instead she shouted over to Locien. "Go for the head! The head!"

Locien charged up to the Dragon and he jumped onto the neck and went to the top of his head. he then drew both of his swords and readied to strike at it to get it off guard and then to stab it in the head.

"Dragon's Hope is my name." Locien recited his first name and his adopted Surname's translation to the Dragon. "You have strayed the path from a noble beast and harmed innocents in your wake. I judge you guilty of these and the penanc- WHOA!" Locien cried out as he was shook about by the dragon. He angrily cursed under his breath and he plunged the sword into it's neck damaging it further. The Dragon struggled with Locien a bit before tossing him off.

The Dragon had gotten weaker though due to the Fighting it gained that was for certain. Raina approached the beast as it fell tired from the fight. She rubbed it's head softly, whispering kind words to it. "Sh, it is okay. You fought bravely beast. You fought well. Do you wish me to end this pain? No? You want him? Fine." Raina gestured to Locien to come over which he did.

"Locien. I did all I could to make our opponent feel like he fought with honor. He wants you to end the pain and have him finally earn eternal rest. Let him join his noble brothers. When we get to the Maelthra abode and we tell Your grandfather this, I am sure he'll reward you with your own dragon companion as is custom."

Locien silently nodded as he walked to a good spot for a killing blow. He silently drew the sword his grandfather gave him and got ready for a blow as he noticed that in the sun, the jewel on the hilt flared red. "Rest in peace noble beast." He then stabbed into the creature's head, behind the ear, finally ending it's rest.

Zankora, Raina's dragon flew into the scene and approached Raina whilst rubbing his head against her, as if it was happy she was alright. "Well that was fun, huh Locien?" she asked whilst giving a small adoring smile. Locien felt like he could turn a shade of red if he was in his spirit elf disguise.

Theodin shifted back as the Dragon died, and he heard Raina's comment. He smiled tiredly. "That was definatly not in my definition of fun..." He sighed. He was going to feel that fall tomorrow. But, Elehna was okay, and so was everyone else, so it didn't matter. He looked down, slightly surprised. "Huh...the old guy was telling the turth. Interesting." Not a shred of his armor and clothing had been ripped or torn when he had transformed. He smiled at the thought. It was nice to be able to shift and not worry about what clothes he had left covering his body. "Well...now that this buisness has been taken care of...where are we headed now?"

With Locien's final and respectful last blow, the dragon was dead. Elehna stood where she had been standing in silence, watching the beast collapse lifelessly to the ground. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the creature. She couldn't help but observe it's beauty and the air of sadness it gave off with it's soon to be cold body. Finally, the young female ripped her eyes from the beast to look over to Locien, Raina, Ildhrenion and Theodin.

The latter had transformed back into his human state, his clothes intact. She needed to thank him and she would - But it would have to wait until the next plan of action was up and running. Approaching back to the group slowly, Elehna put her sword away around her waist and looked over to Locien. "Well, didn't you wish to see your grandfather?" She questioned, having heard him mention it earlier. "We may head and perhaps he may give us some wise words." Elehna hadn't stopped walking as she approached them but carried on walking towards Theodin. She couldn't and wouldn't wait to speak to him any longer.

The fall and his save had made her realise for the first time that anything could happen whilst the war was on. They could both be killed at any time and she refused to live in regret. She imagined a life without Theodin, not telling him what she really thought and then never being able to. Such torture would be unbearable.

Elehna carried on walking towards Theodin and then grabbed his arm gently, pulling him with her as she carried on walking. Her head turned to the two Dark Elves and the old male spiritual elf with a small smile. "I suggest heading back to the tavern and delivering the news to the villagers! We shall catch you up." With that, Elehna pulled Theodin away to a quiet area where they could talk alone.

Taking both of his hands in hers, she looked up at him, at first struggling to say what she had in mind. It soon came out. "I...I'm really sorry for earlier. It was foolish of me to go against my heart - I simply can't." She paused for a moment before looking down. "I can't thank you enough for saving me back there." She looked back up with a small smile. "So what if we live in constant threat of being torn apart, we always shall. So what if people do not approve - I do. And if you do too, surely that is all that matters, right?" She asked, her smaller hands tightening around his as she looked up to him full of admiration.

Being around Beleth was rather confusing for Raziel. He used to think he could figure anyone out within hours, but apparently, that was not quite the case. Disregarding the fiasco with Elehna where his feelings were to blame, the ancient female seemed to follow some logic of her own making in her actions. The dark elf was strictly rational in his decisions as a rule, and the few times he broke it he made some foolish mistakes. The demon, however, didn't seem to follow exclusively the path of rationality or irrationality, and at times her decisions didn't seem to make sense for either approach. Not that he believed irrational behavior made sense to begin with, but she was in a league of her own, so to speak.

After leaving the elven princess behind him, both literally and figuratively, the Overlord had realized like never before exactly how much time he wasted brooding instead of achieving his objectives, but there was an upside to it. His enemies had time to gather strength, but in the end, it wasn't going to affect the outcome. His crushing a more powerful enemy, however, would leave a stronger impression, which was far more important than most believed. Conquering the world was one thing, crushing all hopes of the opposition was another. Most tyrants of days past failed at the former because they underestimated the importance of the latter. As long as people seriously believed you could be defeated, the moment you left to conquer new lands your home would fall to rebels. That was where Locien came in, but the time for him to fulfill his role has not yet come.

With Beleth returned to her true form, Raziel needed a new weapon befitting of his image made. In fact, his whole image could use some work. He was the Overlord, and it was time the world learned he wasn't just some crazy sorcerer with abundant power. His very name should strike fear into the hearts of lesser men, and while it would certainly be his actions that would earn such a reputation, he needed an appearance to match. But that wasn't for him to figure out; he had countless servants who mostly did nothing of importance to do it for him. The minions may not have been the brightest of creatures, but they were quite skillful when it came to working with their hands. In the meantime, he would begin his conquest of the world.

"Going out? No kiss goodbye?" The demon seemed to appear behind him out of thin air, as she often did. He glanced at her for a moment, noticing she decided to put on a dress not unlike the ones he once designed for Elehna, adjusted to her size of course. It fit her perfectly, almost as if Raziel had her in mind when he was coming up with it. Then again, he sort of did; he tried creating a dress fitting for a woman who would remain by his side, and there was no one who fit the bill better than the demon. The only difference was that he always imagined himself holding the dominant role, and that seemed not to be the case. According to Beleth herself, the only reason she was letting him take charge was because it was too bothersome to do it herself.

"I think I've wasted enough time in this place. As interesting as you may be, I am not willing to postpone things anymore." He replied. The only reason he hadn't left yet was that it was taking his army a while to prepare. They were undead, ready to move at any time, but there were some issues regardless, mostly with transportation. A single bridge to get to the Tower may have been a good idea in case of an attack, but it was taking an awfully long time for the undead to cross with the war machines he had constructed for the war effort; they had to be moved one by one.

"Those things will take about a dozen more hours to move into the open. Plenty of time..." She trailed off and laughed lightly at the irritated gaze Raziel gave her. "Fine, have it your way. But perhaps you'd like to know about your little girlfriend's latest movement?"

"Who are we talking about again?"

"The elven princess." Beleth spoke seriously, not exactly amused by the dark elf returning her tone. "Seems as though she decided to try her hand in the dragon slaying business. Something to do with the beast terrorizing the innocent."

"And you know this, how?"

"Why, because I spied on them, of course. And after seeing her with my own eyes, I'm not sure what you ever saw in the little wretch."

"Me neither." Raziel replied vaguely, thinking the demon's words over. He could see why Locien and the other morons would think killing a dragon was a good idea, but Elehna? Not that she was much smarter, but she supposedly had that bond with nature. Dragons may have been mostly evil from a person's point of view, but that was just another case of the weak and ignorant justifying themselves against something they feared. He wasn't exactly an expert on dragons, but the few he really knew of would never allow themselves to attack the innocent. Of course, their logic was somewhat different from that of most sentient beings, but it wasn't that far.

And more importantly, in the eyes of nature, dragons would always stand above humans, elves and other beings. The reason, which he had only suspected in the past, was confirmed by Beleth: the humanoid races of the present day were descendants of the Aesir, perverted by the gods each in their own way. The beings the demon called "outlanders" didn't have the power to create sentient life anew, but while that was something Raziel knew already, he couldn't be sure of the origin of the varied species. Of course, it made sense; before the gods came, there were only Aesir, so why would a large variety of similar beings appear naturally once the ancient people were gone?

"In any case, this has little to do with me. The dragons can do whatever they want with Locien, he isn't that important. They had never really involved themselves with our world and I see no reason to try and change that." The dark elf said, taking a guess at Beleth's hint. Judging by her reaction, he either guessed correctly or she wasn't hinting at anything. "If he gains power and renown as he goes about his business, well, it only plays into my hands. Crushing a nobody with delusions of grandeur would hardly add to my infamy; crushing the people's champion, on the other hand, is a whole other matter."

"So, where are you going?"

"South." He said and explained. "Not many settlements west or east of here, none of them significant. To the north are pretty much uninhabited lands. Besides, Lyncon and Morlay are south of here, and that's where the allied armies are massing. Might as well go for a decisive victory right from the start, you know? Make them squirm."

"And you were planning on going without me?"

"I want to conquer the world, not destroy it." Raziel smirked. "But as long as you behave and don't start destroying things you aren't supposed to, you're welcome to tag along."

"Hah! You speak quite boldly, given that you know who I am." The demon returned his tone. "What's the point of going to war if you're not planning on killing anyone?"

"You forget that my war is not with the people of this world, and I have not yet discovered a way to strike at my enemy directly." He replied. "But fear not. I do not expect the allied army to give up without a fight. You'll have your chance to have fun." He concluded. In fact, Beleth getting involved in the battle could serve to ultimately save many lives. The undead were a frightful enemy, but they could not easily instill the same terror as a rampaging demon. His victory was assured either way, but without Beleth, it would be a long war; with her participation, all opposition could be crushed within hours.

"A chance is all I ask." The female gave a bloodthirsty smile and left the room. The dark elf was quite interesting, to say the least, a being that turned against its masters and defied the whole world in the process. He almost literally sold his soul to the devil in exchange for power, but she could feel no selfishness in his actions. He was quite unlike anyone she had ever met before, and that was the reason she chose to side with him, for now. As for what the future held, none could tell.

No doubt the Villagers praised Locien and Raina and possibly Ildhrenion and Elehna and Theodin for slaying the Dragon. Zianro's ghost mentally patted Locien on the back. "That Dragon was going loco for some reason. It was supposed to be a guardian but something corrupted it. Maybe the world was getting so crazy with Raziel and all he did caused it to go bonkers. Well get some rest, it's a long way to the Maelthra Tribe's lands. They live in the western part of the world." Zianro instructed.

"Locien! Come on! Music is starting to play! Dance with me!" Raina said chuckling as she grabbed him and let him lead as he tried to figure out how to dance. Slowly but surely it came to him and he started to lead Raina through a small dance. She smiled warmly at Locien and whispered in his ear. "I am glad I found you Locien Kestal, son of Zianro Fenris. Something inside me feels reborn now."

Locien could feel through the sound of her voice that she was slowly getting a bit lovey dovey. That also meant one thing. Raina Birviel had feelings for him! No, he shouldn't fall in love again, he didn't want to lose Rivera all the way! Yet, something else slowly took hold of him. He accepted that she was gone in his head, but he never accepted it in his heart. He had to let go. He had to restore the Fenris line with a wife, and Raina was almost trying to find some solace for her best friend's, his mother's, death.

Ildhrenion just watched them dance. He then thought an Important question. "Wait, How are we going to get there?!"

Theodin just stared at the wonam who held his hands for about a full minuet, unable to speak, not truly know what to say, if any words were necessary at all. He wasn't even sure if he believed his own ears. But how could he not? He smiled gently, lifting one hand to caress her cheek as he finally said something. "So you understand then? That'll it'll take a lot more than just some Overlord and band of demons to make me leave your side?" He couldn't help what he was saying really.

He loved her, and she loved him. He wondered how long the both of them had actually knew, and just refused to say anything. He watched her, waiting for her to say something.

The female Spiritual Elf couldn't help but smile, her eyes twinkling with happiness at Theodin's response. Her hand lifted so it touched the back of his which rested on her cheek as he caressed it gently. "Then let it be known that it shall take a lot to make me leave your side too." Was her simple and only reply as she looked up at him with admiration.

Elehna remained silent for a long minute or so, simply gazing up the man she had fell in love with. Music and cheering began to get louder within the village as the people celebrated the death of the dragon which caused them fear and destruction. Her smile grew louder and her hand wrapped itself around his own hand which was on her cheek, pulling it down to her side as she kept a hold of it. "Lets return, see what all the fuss is about." The young Queen said a little sarcastically with a gentle smile before walking back towards the Tavern holding Theodin's hand.

It felt slightly strange to be able to hold his hand and not care about what anyone thought. Elehna refused to hide what she felt any longer - She was the Queen of Morlay, it was up to her who she chose to love. It was weird to think that if everything between the two spiritual elves went well, Theodin would be King. In no way shape or form was Elehna going to complain, she thought he would make a great King... But maybe it was too early to think about that. After all, they were at war with the world and they currently had no Morlay.

Arriving to were the celebration took place, the female looked to Theodin and giggled a little. She caught eye of Locien and Raina dancing together and it seemed only to right to join them. "May I have this dance?" Elehna asked with a light smile, getting into a hold with Theodin.

Thedoin smiled down at her. "My lady, you may have any dance that you want." He took her hand, leading her into the throng of people, and the two begane to dance. As Theodin led, he was taken back to the last time they had danced, it was almost three months ago. Itr seemed to long ago to him. Yet here he was, once again dancing with the woman he loved.

Even as they danced, the songs switched, and the song that began plaing was one of the best known celebration songs in all of the elven kingdoms.

Dulaman

The pace of the dancnig took off, as the fast-paced song was played. The spun, the twirled, they danced. Very few could keep up with the fast footwork, and soon, only Theodin and Elehna were left continuing to dance.

It was hard find a partner who could keep up the pace of such a fast paced song but Elehna had found her partner. Just like the last time they had danced to it, they spun, twirled and danced Admittedly, it was a little harder that time due to her not being used to her new type of outfit, but Theodin helped her as they danced, celebrating.

At the end of the song, Elehna chuckled with happiness, pulling Theodin out of the middle as another song was sung and others danced once again. It had been the first time in days that the young queen had genuinely laughed, feeling happy. Of course, she was sure that her happiness wouldn't last long- it never did nowadays, but she enjoyed the feeling for the time being.

"Yet again, Theodin, you surprise me." She said with a grin, moving through the crowd of people with him to see Ildhrenion, Raina and Locien. Celebrating was all good, but they did need to press on. The longer they stayed to celebrate, the more chance something terrible would happen. "Ildhrenion, I'm surprised you are not in the middle of it all, celebrating." Elehna commented kindly in a gentle tone, a smile across her face. "You fought well." She added, nodding her head in respect.

"I feel we have hopefully gained the trust of at least these villagers and we can only hope our names and faces shall be spoken of and passed through other villages - good words and stories." Elehna said, mainly to Ildhrenion as she looked over to Locien and Raina who were still caught up in their little moment. Smiling, she gestured for them to approach closer so they could hear her words and also so she could ask Locien of his grandfather.

"The longer we stay put, the more risk we have of losing Morlay for good. We need these people's help - We need a lot of help. Locien, you say you wish to see your grandfather? Do you know where he is? And what would be the most suitable method of transport? I'm sure these good people would give us horses if need be." She paused for a moment, looking up at Theodin as if to ask him if what she was saying was right. All she needed was a look of reassurance to put her at ease. It was different being in charge rather than being 'the Princess.' - She didn't exactly see herself as in charge; she saw all her friends as equals who had a right to put an input of even decide for themselves... but without her Father, she wasn't told what to do anymore. It certainly was different.

"Celebration is for the young. The old have a hard time in some aspects of celebrations. But the old can tell stories, weave them however they please with it all, until the story isn't news at all. It just becomes a legend." Ildhrenion said with a small smile on his face. "But I hope that this gives a good impression."

Locien and Raina danced throughout the time they had. Suddenly Raina wrapped her arms completely around the young Fenris and slowly drew his face close to hers. "Locien Kestal, you certainly are a good dancer..." She said in a calm, yet exhausted voice. She was about to give him a small kiss on his lips when Elehna called them over. "Darn it! Oh well better luck next time I suppose. Hopefully in the Maelthra lands."

"His grandfather is in the Maelthra clans lands, in the western frontier, close to the mountains. I would assume for transportation you would want horses. However, Zankora could call for some of his brethren to get us there faster." Raina explained. "I say faster because, well we have to be there as soon as possible. Locien's grandfather is the Chieftain of the Maelthra clan, and getting Locien there would finally let Lord Maelthra be at peace, knowing his daughter's son is alive."

As Raina said this she wrapped her arm around Locien's waist and leaned on his arm. "But any transportation will do." Locien simply stared at the Dark Elf female, he didn't truly know what Raina's intentions are. He had a feeling she was either wanting to be his new lover or be his future wife, he couldn't tell. Maybe it was based on the belief that the care for someone doesn't really vanish in someone's heart, just shapes into a new form. If he had fair skin he would be beet red by now.

Theodin grinned down at Elehna, listening as the others spoke. He was his usal quiet self, and observed. He was slightly surprised at Raina, but then at the same time, he wasn't. He wastched the two. They made a good match, indeed. He could also tell that Locien was still hesitant. Perhaps he should say something to him later. He nodded. "I had already spoke to the barkeep about that. Ivory is still in good shape, so that's at least one horse. One of the farmers has two males he can't break, and has offered them to us if we can. It shouldn't take me long, and that will give us three. We don't need more than that."

Nodding once, Elehna agreed with both her friends. They seemed to already have a plan in mind and she liked it. It was simple and it got them there. Hopefully seeing Locien's grandfather would also get them some support they needed- Either way, they had nothing to loose. "That's sorted then. I say we move on quickly as possible, we have nothing here to stay for and as you say - Your granddad father's time runs short." She said lowering her head a little to Locien. "Theodin, could you get the two horses from the farmer. We'll try to break them in on the way. Locien and Raina, could you announce our leave to the bartender and thank him for his hospitality. Ildhrenion and I shall gather our belongings and meet you all outside of the tavern and no more than an hours time."

The young queen was organised in her tasks and wanted to be gone as soon as possible. Elves still danced around the tavern in celebration, making it hard to walk through the Inn. She smiled still, feel content that she was leaving the village having made people much happier and safer. However, that didn't get rid of the dreaded feeling in the pit of her stomach about her own Kingdom. She felt utterly sick about not being in control and having some strangers running her system and being well... in control of her people. Hopefully the citizens all knew Elehna too well that she would have never left the Kingdom without good reason and hopefully they all knew that she would return. She had to.

Also, the last memories of Raziel were not a pleasant one and it frightened her to know how angry he had seemed at her and just to what extent he could go to. Three months ago, she would have never thought that he would have done what he did. It was completely barbaric and she needed to know his next plans of action. She had a gut feeling that they didn't have much time left before they would see his work.

For then though, Elehna concentrate on the task at hand. She walked through the crowd and up to the rooms where they had stayed in with Ildhrenion. They both gathered their belongings and the others and wrapped it in blankets so they would hold together whilst they rode on the horses. Once gathered what little belongings they had, they made their way back down the stairs and gave the key to the bartender before making their way outdoors to meet with everyone.

Locien and Raina told the bartender of their departure and waited for everyone outside. Raina wiggled herself into Locien's left arm and leaned on him again as they walked some to where Theodin would meet them with the horses.

"She's a real nice person it seems. Looks nice too." Zianro commented in his son's head. "I guess maybe I don't have to worry about the re-population" of the Fenris clan exactly yet. But, I'm worried about what's holding you back?"

Locien sighed mentally as if to let his dead father know what really was holding him back. He felt confused, alone and utterly lost to where he should go with his life from here. Raina somewhat sensed his insecurities and rubbed his back gently with two of her fingers. "Everything is fine Locien, everything is perfectly fine." She kept muttering. The last thing Raina wanted was a nervous or angered Fenris. That was almost like messing with a dragon, according to Selina.

She sighed to herself on that account. She missed her oldest and dearest friend at times. She hoped that Locien would somehow fill her void, but it would take a long while for it to actually do it she feared. For him it was probably too fast too soon.

In the end, taking Beleth along only slowed down his army's movement. The undead needed no rest, no food and no lodging; that was not the case for Raziel himself, but he could very well manage without the latter and make due with what he could get on the move for the former two. Of course, he did not for a moment believe the demon could not, on the contrary, he believed she was much better suited and more used to a lack of civilization and its comforts than himself. The thing was, she refused to put up with that and acted like a spoiled princess, making rather unreasonable demands, considering they were going to war and not on vacation. He thought more than once about leaving her behind, but every time he suggested he would, she would act even more bratty.

They both knew she was just messing around with him, and they both knew the other knew about them knowing, but that hardly changed anything. In a way, the Overlord was thankful to her; as irritating as her behavior was, it helped lighten the mood and take his mind off of everything that had been happening lately. And he had to admit, even if it slowed him down, having a decent bed and a roof over your head at night was nice. It wasn't that much of a problem, either: in the end, he just had the tent placed onto a moving platform and his undead soldiers pull it day and night. He didn't want to admit it, but the added comfort - even if he believed most of it to be excessive under the circumstances - was quite nice. The female, on the other hand, was enjoying their small "portable palace" to the fullest. If it weren't for a huge army marching in front and around them, he could almost forget about what was really going on.

They met with no resistance as they approached the field of the first and possibly final battle. It was only natural; all that was left in most towns were small garrisons and militia, just enough to fight off groups of bandits, had any been stupid enough to appear at this time. But Raziel had no interest in these minor settlements. He would first crush the main force of the opposition and then spread his army to take over the most significant cities of the continent. That would be spreading his forces a little thin, but he wasn't overly worried. Apart from the fear factor, a single undead was still worth several of the living in a fight. He made sure to create warriors rather than simply fodder to overpower the enemy with numbers, but the most important factor was still how hard they were to "kill" compared to living beings, and how easily they could be replaced.

Raziel's advance was stopped before he could reach the familiar lands of his home and neighbor countries. It almost seemed nostalgic, but the situation wasn't exactly fitting. As expected, the allied army decided to face him in the open fields just north of Lyncon and Morlay; he could even see the old oak from the hill where his tent stood. There was no fortress big enough to make efficient use of all the soldiers they had amassed, and he had plenty of monstrous siege machines that would quickly turn it into a trap rather than an advantage. They were going to fight him head on, save for the traps they likely set up all over the place and the surrounding forests they were going to use to flank his forces. Of course, neither tactic would prove particularly effective against the undead, who could be neither confused nor scared, but what else could they do? It was better than nothing, at least.

"Why haven't we attacked yet?" Beleth wondered as she walked out from the tent behind Raziel. Her behavior was, as always, rather strange; it was like none of this had anything to do with her, like she was someplace else entirely, and yet, it seemed as though she felt right at home at the head of a massive army preparing for battle.

"I'm waiting for the sun to rise. That should even the odds a bit."

"I thought you didn't need much light to see?"

"Exactly." He smirked. "This battle is all about mind games. I don't doubt my victory, but in the long run, it is better to win while fighting on their terms, even if the cost is greater."

"I think you're giving them a little too much credit. On the contrary, if you attack at night and they are hardly able to fight back in the darkness, it will make them panic and disband."

"For this battle, but then they will just become more determined to fight me." The dark elf shrugged. "If I were commanding ordinary soldiers, I would have done exactly as you advise, but I am not. There is no reason why I can't be a little wasteful with my army."

***

Inael's return to Morlay was hardly a joyous one. In the end, he never did confront the elven queen, having decided she wasn't worth the bother. Having seen her actions outside the palace, he gained a better understanding of the motivations behind her actions. Rather than having been corrupted by the Overlord, it appeared as though she tried to see good in him, despite everything. While certainly foolish and naive of her, it was quite admirable regardless. The problem was, the longer he watched her, the more her actions seemed to have become misguided and her judgment clouded. Or perhaps it was just that he thought too highly of her at first; whatever the case, she couldn't be of any help to him. In the end, Elehna was just like everyone else, judging events and beings based off assumptions and denying her own ignorance as she did.

The situation in the kingdom of elves was resolved in a strange way while he was gone; with news of the Overlord's undead army approaching, the people's concerns about the well-being of the royal family faded into the background and Morlay's military cooperated with the other nation without having received any orders from their king. It was only natural in the paladin's eyes; after all, the king was there to serve his people, not the other way around.

A strange sense of dread consumed Inael as the sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon. Raziel's army was certainly impressive, but it wasn't as numerous as the Allied Army, nor did it seem to have any mounted units. They could attempt an attack under the cover of darkness, but the numerous traps set up in the field ahead would warn them if they did. The free people of many nations had been preparing for this battle for a long time, and they were united as never before. And yet the warrior couldn't help but feel as though it was hopeless to oppose the Overlord, as though none of the people here would live to see another sunset. It was not a pleasant feeling.

Theodin nodded, and went off to the barn, leading the horses to the rendezvous point. Ivory was calm as usual, and the other horses, Tallon, and Roran. The horses were twins, both males. They were quite frisky, but Theodin had gotten them calmed down enough they were ride-able. He petted all three horses, and they seemed restless. They wanted to run. Theodin waited calmly for the others.

Locien waved at Theodin as Raina pulled Locien to the rendezvous point and examined Roran. "He looks like a good enough stallion. Is he rideable?" She asked with a smirk. "He seems to be if he wants to run as hard as he can. It'll be a long way to the Maelthra Clan's abode. It's near the mountains in the west. It'll be a fun little journey. Locien you'd love it out in the western regions, a Variety of Climate just like Morlay would have and diverse wildlife." She said as she gave pause of thought to the times she would romp around the climate as a young elf herself. Those were the only times she was happy, besides becoming a handmaiden and making new friends there.

"I would think it would be a nice place there." Locien said. He felt nervous to approach his long lost grandfather. Even though he heard from Raina that he may be sick and dying he felt like the Maelthra cheiftain was a force to be reckoned with. a Fierce Dark Elf who would no sooner kill an enemy without a second thought in his mind. The thought of meeting him terrified him but not as much as what Raina did as she got onto Roran as Ildhrenion came with the stuff he had used during his stay at the Inn escorting the Princess along. Raina pulled Locien onto Roran with her.

"I'll guide the horse Locien. Just relax and enjoy the ride." She calmly stated as she made him wrap his arms around her.

Ildhrenion mounted the more peaceful Ivory. "These old bones need a peaceful horse unlike the one Locien is about to use." He muttered to himself.

Elehna found Theodin with the horses as her and Ildhrenion reached the stables with what little belongings they had. Packing it, she listened to Raina and smiled a little. It was obvious that she was very fond of Locien and thought it sweet. She did not blame Locien for keeping himself a little reserved from her, the lose of Rivera still being very fresh to them all.

Loading their stuff onto Roran and Tallon, it looked as though the Princess was stuck with Tallon, the feistiest male. Elehna placed her hand on the horse's neck, muttering "Ik fom naeki." in a soft voice. The horse jumped back on both of it's hind legs before shaking it's head and calming a little down. The female smiled, looking to Theodin for help to get onto the large horse.

She sat in front of Theodin, being short enough for him to see where they were going as he took hold of the reigns. "Then it looks as though we shall be following you, Raina." The Princess said with a smile, gesturing for her to begin their journey once Ildhrenion was on Ivory. She

They all began to ride towards Maelthra Clan's abode, the journey getting a little better as the day grew older, the bitter wind calming down slightly once they were shelter by tree's. Roran and Tallon were certainly two frisky horses; they galloped as if it was some sort of race against time leaving Ivory, the poor beast, to try and keep up with the younger males. As they rode, Elehna had a habit of playing with Theodin's hands which held onto the reigns, smirking as she did so. She had nothing else better to do.

That was until a horn was heard from afar, echoing in the wind in the opposite direction to where they were going. Elehna's ears were very sensitive to the horn, having heard it once before - It was Morlay's battle horn. Her head flickered to look towards where Morlay would be situated, but she was too far to see her Kingdom. She wanted to return - Something wasn't right.

"Theodin - Did you just hear that?" She asked, it being a bit of pointless question. It was obvious that he had by the look of his face. Elehna looked over to Locien, Raina and Ildhrenion. "Did you all hear that?" She asked them all as they slowed down. They were too far to turn back now, they needed to get to Maelthra's Clan and head back to Morlay whether there were wanted there or not. "Let's hurry!" Elehna pressed on, guessing they all knew that her Kingdom was in serious danger. She was Queen after all and she had a right to be very worried. The quicker they saw Locien's grandfather, the better.

"Are you going to sleep at all tonight?"

"No. Too many things to do."

"Worried about the battle ahead?"

"In a way. Simply winning isn't good enough and I don't much like to take chances."

Beleth simply watched the dark elf as he worked, walking around his camp, sometimes stopping and drawing strange shapes on the ground. It wasn't hard to guess what he was doing even for one not educated in the arcane arts: placing runes and other magic symbols, setting up spells ahead of time. In her eyes, he was worrying too much. Provided nothing unexpected would happen, his army had enough force to defeat the enemy, and if that proved to be insufficient, he always had his magic and her to rely on.

Despite promising her a chance to have fun, he told her to hold back or not get involved with the fighting at all, if possible. That was understandable; she was his trump card, and there was no telling how the gods would react if they knew she was once again free. Or perhaps they did know but took no action yet; either way, Raziel doubted it would remain that way if the demon was to use her power against mere mortals. There was a chance that would actually further his goals considerably, but there was also a chance his plans would be ruined, and that wasn't a risk he was willing to take. What appeared to be the easiest and shortest route to something rarely ended well; it was a small wisdom that helped him countless times before and he wasn't about to disregard it now.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to tire myself out." The Overlord smirked in response to her silent question. "I am not so weak as to let one night of wakefulness hinder me, and besides, I rested plenty on the way here."

"You better be right." The demon said. "It would be quite ironic but a complete waste if you got killed today because of being too cautious." She heard him chuckle, but he didn't say anything. "What are you making, anyway?"

"It wouldn't be interesting if I just told you, would it now?" Raziel answered with a smile. "It's a little something, moderately useful, but highly impressive, for the battle today. Or at least, it should be impressive to most." He added, still focusing on the task at hand. Beleth watched him for a while longer and then went to sleep: whatever the dark elf was planning, it didn't look that interesting right then.

***

Dawn came only too quickly. Inael could feel the anxiety coming from the simple men - and women - around him. They all knew what lied ahead of them, but he doubted any of them were prepared for it. War was never easy, but few of these soldiers ever had the displeasure of dealing with the undead before and never in such numbers. Of course, the army of the living was also the biggest the world had ever seen; problem was, that was as much of a disadvantage as it was an advantage. Communication on the field of battle was never easy, it was hard to properly maneuver and cooperate, which was why the army who had the initial advantage would usually win. That was the case when people from one country fought together, so what was there to say for an army collected from many different lands and species? Even united against a common enemy, communication and trust were still major issues.

All his brothers and sisters were there. It was only natural; regardless of Solis' own reputation, the paladins were universally known as a force for good, free from the corruption of politics. Far it be from them to be absent during the battle that was meant to pretty much decide the fate of the world. They stood apart from everyone else, as always, even if this time it was due to their mission. Their camp was somewhat removed from the rest and hidden behind the hills from the Overlord's eyes; when the battle started, they would ride under the cover of the terrain and strike directly at the man behind all this. It was a suicide mission, mostly, but if they managed to take him down, it would all be over just like that. It was a risk they were willing to take.

They rode hard and they rode long. Eventually, Raina had successfully managed to lead them to The Village of The Maelthra clan. Overseeing the village was a Castle that seemed to be dotted with dragon nests at the top of the tower.

"Welcome to the Maelthra Clan abode! Locien, lead the others to the Chieftain's abode, I must report to your aunt, my High Priestess." She said as she got off his horse and ran to a temple like structure as Locien led them through the roads to the large castle. They were halted by guards briefly but when Locien told them who he was they immediately let the Party pass.

Locien got off the horse and waited for Ildhrenion and the others as well to get off theirs. Then he walked towards the Great Hall, and he then saw a most shocking surprise. A Dark Elf, sitting on the throne... But unlike Raziel, this man was older... more fragile. His skin was paling and he had several coughing fits every few minutes. The Old Elf wearily looked around and saw his visitors, He looked straight at the three spiritual elves that probably entered with Locien. "I wondered when I'd be seeing you again, Ildhrenion Galadiir." the old elf commented. He then turned his eyes to Elehna and Theodin. "And it would seem that the Crown Princess of Morlay has come to see me as well, along with the Last of the Pyren Clan that was wiped out along with my daughter. Twas tragic those long years. When Zianro Fenris finally fell, it didn't bring me piece to know if he had any offspring."

As he finished that Raina walked escorting another Dark Elf towards the Old Cheiftain. The dark elf, who looked and acted like a High Priestess, bowed low to the Chieftain. "Chieftain Maelthra, Father." She addressed, for she was also Cassandra Maelthra, Eldest Daughter of the Maelthra clan, "Raina has brought the people from Morlay you wanted her to seek. Now, let us see the young elf who calls himself Locien."

Locien stepped forward away from the group and bowed with one knee to the ground. "My Lord Cheiftain Maelthra, and My High Priestess of the Poet. Hail." He would formally address. "My name is Locien Kestal. Of the Fenris Clan, that I do not know. I was told many ti-" He was interrupted By the Chieftain Maelthra's Coughing fit as the Chieftain slowly stood up, Raina and Locien's aunt stood and took each of his arms to support him.

"I know well you are Selina's Son. You bare the sword I forged for you, Thirty-five years ago." The Old Chieftain spoke. "I know fully well now, that you Locien Kestal, are a Fenris. But you are also A Maelthra, and also my grandson, and The High Priestess's nephew. Come... Embrace an old Dying elf and his daughter. Embrace family."

Locien slowly stood on his feet and walked towards them. He felt hesitant but surpisingly the Old Dark elf in front of him pulled him into a hug and bade the high priestess to join, there were tears in his violet eyes. "Thank you Ildhrenion, for watching over him." was all Chieftain Zacharias Maelthra could say, and All that the old Mouthpiece of the Poet could do was simply give a small bow.