After awakening in an unfamiliar fantasy world, a Canadian trauma nurse allies with a mysterious elf king to save his world from the shadows that feast on its inhabitants.
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Death is no stranger to ER nurse Nessa. Little does she know she's going...
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Nessa and Trystan traveled with speed, moving through most of the exposed grasslands in the better part of a day. By the time dusk had settled on the horizon, a dark tree-line emerged in the distance. As they approached it, Nessa realized how different it was from the forest of Trystan's kingdom. These trees were tall, but slimmer and sleeker. Their bark was dark, almost the colour of pitch, and the leaves reflected a violet hue in the dim light. Where Trystan's kingdom was full of green and brown, this forest twinkled with dark shades of blue and violet. The smell of dirt and foliage was familiar, but even that had a different cast.
As she stepped into the forest, Nessa noticed small blue lights moving in and out between the trees. They cast a faint cold glow on the leaves and branches and giving the forest an ethereal glow. Nessa stopped, her eyes widening in wonder at the miraculous sight around her.
"Ruien isn't much further, Nessa," Trystan explained, moving into the trees with quick strides. He stopped when he realized she wasn't responding and looked back at her, studying her perplexed face. "Nessa?"
Nessa blinked, snapping out of her trancelike state. She glanced to Trystan, embarrassment warming her cheeks. "Sorry, I've just seen nothing like this. It's different from your forest."
"The Rynare are crafted from a different element than my people are. While my people come from the forest, the Rynare fell from the stars. This forest is very much a reflection of that. The Rynare's numbers are not what they used to be, and the forest has dwindled in size over the years. Ruien used to be a city of great size, but in recent decades, they have retreated further into the forest. Much of Ruien is deserted now, with only a small encampment remaining."
Nessa moved into a jog to catch up with him. "How come? Why have they done that?"
"No one knows. The different factions of elves have not communicated directly in many years. As time passed, the Rynare receded even more into the forest."
"You share their lineage. Why would you not try to keep in touch?"
"When my mother left to be with my father, the Rynare were not happy. I am the offspring of what they deemed inappropriate. If this were not such a grave situation, I wouldn't even try to contact them. I hope they see how important this is and allow me an audience. But as it stands, they will not acknowledge me as one of them, but rather as an anomaly."
"That's terrible." Nessa frowned, pushing a violet branch out of her way as she walked beside him.
"My mother didn't leave on good terms, Nessa. It's always been looked down upon for the elves to mingle in such ways. They believe it mutates the lines and weakens the link with the elements we came from."
"Not if you look at it another way. My mother was the daughter of the previous leader. Only those who lead the elves are blessed with the magic I display. Some would argue that mingling with other races of elves can dilute that magic, making those wielding it less apt to protect their people."
