Shadow Moir: The Elven Kingdom

Chapter Five: ...and the Greet

Myra looked around at the land. It was not home, but somewhere else. A small orange glow a rose from the land ahead of her before it rushed across the tall grassland. As the heat came closer, she knew it was fire. She turned and ran, the wind blowing against her face as she ran through the meadow. She looked back at the fire and ran straight into a solid body in front of her.

"Myra why are you running? What is wrong? Tirnels hands creased Myras arms. "You look pained. Are you all right?"

Myra lay in the inns bed sound asleep; she did not hear her window open. The breeze brushed against her face causing her to pull the feather blanket up under her chin. It was not until there was a hand covering her mouth and an arm around her waist that she noticed what kind of dangerous situation she was in. The stranger had already ripped her from the comfort of the bed as she screeched against the stranger's hand. She kicked and wiggled till she was able to set her arm free, elbowing the attacker in the nose.  The attacker dropped her, and she quickly got to her feat running towards the door. She grasped the handle, yanked the door open and screamed for Tirnel as loud as she could before the room around her went black.

Tinels head snapped in the direction of Myras room across the hall. Fuinor and Orion exchanged quick glances before letting the playing cards fall from their hands. All three of them rushed towards the door, dashed across the hall, and burst into Myras room. Tirnel watched as a hooded stranger jumped from the window with Myra's unconscious body slung over his shoulder. Tirnel did not wait as he threw himself out of the window after him. He landed on his feet and followed the stranger at a run.

"Halt. In the name of the Queen of Oakshaw!" He bellowed.

"We serve different queens Tirnel son of Anethe." The man snickered back.

Tirnels blood went cold. He knew that voice, knew that voice to well. It was a voice he would never forget. His name was Thelor, Bogeths most trusted soldier and assassin. The fear of Myras fate made him run faster, his legs picking up speed with every step. Thelor stopped abruptly, turned, aimed his crossbow, and fired. The arrow traveled through the air and hit Tirnel in the chest. Tirnel fell backward onto the dirt. The pain he felt was not as bad as he thought although, it became extremely hard for him to breathe, as though he was drowning. 

As Tirnel lay there his mind filled with Thelor and their past experiences together.

"What say you, dog son of Anethe." Thelor mocked.

Tirnel kept his head hung. The metal cuffs around his wrist digging into his hands. His feet dangled just above the ground just so hid feat would not touch. He was caught and chances were no one was coming for him. He knew he was too inexperienced to infiltrate Bogeths castle, and he was right.

"Why did they send you?" Thelor asked as the whip danced ever so slightly on the ground. Tirnel had seen him harm hundreds of people in the short amount of time they had worked together. Thelor got some sort of sick enjoyment out of the entire experience. 

"Yu really do not have to answer Tirnel. I already know why you are here." He chuckled slicking the whip against Tirnels bare back. "To be honest, I do not care either way. However, Anethe should send me a thank you note for taking care of her dog ridden son. I will never understand why she would adobt you."

By now, Thelor's words were just words, and his blows with the whip became numb to his back. He felt Thelors hand under his chin.

"Maybe I will make you match your brothers. Then you will all have something in common." As Thelor ran the handle of the whip down the side of his face. 

Tirnel said nothing as Thelor dropped his hand, and Tirnel waited for the next strike. 

***

Myra woke to the sound of a crackling fire. She could almost smell the morning air and mist as it tangled with the scent of the crackling fire.  She looked from side to side, her head pounding, and she could sense someone there with her. The presence was a menacing one as it lurked in the shadow of the trees. She wiggled her wrist to try and free herself from the ropes that bound them together in front of her.

"There is no use."

The voice sent shivers down her spine and the hair to rise on her arms. The man's voice sounded malice, she almost did not want to speak, but her curiosity got a hold of her.

"Who are you?" She tried to have a strong voice, but it cracked in the middle of the sentence.

The man stayed in the shadows and chuckled. "Who I do not matter. It is who I serve that does."

"And who might that be?" Myra hated these kinds of pleasantries. It was bad enough she was away from home, and now she wished she had stayed.  She still had no idea why she was in the world, to begin with. It was like a bad action movie that she magically got roped into. 

"You have not heard of her." He said almost confused.

"I would not ask if I was not aware." She snapped. The fear of leaving her as annoyance replaced it. 

The man came from the shadows swiftly putting the dagger to her throat. "Do not speak in such a manner to me child." He hissed centimeters barely away from her face. His eyes the color of burnt coal.

"Or what? You are going to kill me?" She spat back pushing the blade into her neck as she moved forward as she felt blood trickle down her neck. She had no doubt in her mind that he would kill her without hesitation; however, he would have done it already if he did not need her alive. 

"Thelor, what are you doing?" 

Both Myra and the stranger that became known to her as Thelor looked in the direction of the dominate female voice. She was standing in the fire light glaring at the man with her brown eyes. She was beautiful with her braided ash brown hair and light skin; however, she looked menacing in the fire light. 

"Vexen." Thelor straightened himself while glaring back at her.

"I asked you a question?" Vexen stated, her arms crossed over her chest. 

"Yeah Thelor, she asked you a question." A blonde elf teased as she appeared out from behind the woman named Vexen and took her spot next to her.

"Amora, Silence." Vexen said harshly. 

Amora made a face at Vexen as she walked around the fire pit, her light blue eyes watching Myra as she approached. Myra watched her skip towards her and then kneel next to her. 

"Wow, she's pretty for a human." Amora giggled as she grabbed a strand of Myras red hair and twisting it around her finger. "Tell me human, what are we to fear from you?" 

My rolled her eyes. "Absolutely nothing."

"How do we know you are telling the truth." Amora asked.

Myra raised her hands up and gently clasped Amoras. White light shined from around their hands. " I wish no harm or ill will upon anyone. I just want to learn of my gift and my mother. Search and see that I am not lying." She spoke openly as she showed Amora her feelings she had of the land and how it affected her. She released Amoras hand and dropped hers to her lap.

Amora released Myras hair and stood slowly. Her eyes showing no emotion as she walked towards Vexen. A silent communication passed between them as they glanced at each other. 

Myra sighed heavily resting the back of her head on the tree, then suddenly she felt weightless. Her eyes snapped open as she looked down at the ground far beneath her. She was high in the tree tops and moving quick enough to make her feel almost sick. She noticed that Amora had her over her shoulder and was running from branch to branch as fast as she could and with the most precocious grace. 

"What is going on? Now, where are you taking me?" She shouted as the wind rushed by her.

"To the queen. We serve Anethe of Oakshaw. Vexen and I came to rescue you. However, we had to blow our cover in Bogeths army to do so."

"We?" Myra asked.

"Yes, Vexen and I. I am lighter and quicker on my feet than she. Vexen will deal with Thelor." 

***

Vexen stared down at Thelor. His body badly bruised as he stayed slumped over. She had tied him to the tree after she had successfully knocked him unconscious. The thought of killing him crossed her mind more than once; however, she could not bring herself to do it. Thelor was not the one to cross, and neither was Bogeth. Her and Amora had both signed their death warrants and it was now just a matter of time. Vexen shook the thought from her mind as she hoped that this light barrier was truly worth al of the risk. She jumped up and ran on the branches of the large forest trees making her way towards Oakshaw.