-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Lord Talos of Evora
Dancer's Hill, Kingdom of Solais
28
th
of Starset, 1282
D.f.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
All men have fought this war, the battle to fight or flee; the masses label it nerves, whilst the devout call it destiny. But this war isn't so much a choice between two options. No men
choose
to flee. It's all instinct, it's beyond us, it's the ability to embrace chance automatically.
And to run is to hope. To flee is to put your faith in the world, in that events will work in your favor without your guidance. But Talos wasn't a man of the gods. Talos wasn't faithful. He had to end this madness himself.
The lone swordsman looked down upon the many elves cloaked in whites and greens, with the endless straightened shore on the horizon acting as their backdrop. He raised his make-shift flag of peace; a white shirt tied to a long branch of oak. The outriders of the army were already nearing his position at the top of the hill, whilst the main band of elves, thousands strong, huddled closely together at the foot of a slope of a great mesa, named 'Dancer's Hill' by men who had been here before.
The swordsman hadn't the need to advance. As soon as he'd crested the hill, half-a-dozen riders closed on his position with all haste. They carried spears, bows, swords, all manner of instrument to prevent a man like Talos from performing the very act he sought to conduct.
But he had to believe that Casiama could be saved; that a girl lost to the fates could still be freed. At least, that's what he told himself when the riders closed in and surrounded him, and demanded his immediate surrender. Talos lifted his free hand from the reins, and spoke to the elves with purpose.
"I'm here to see Kianra. She is expecting me."
The riders glanced at one another, as if to see if one had knowledge of Talos' arrival. They wouldn't. Talos hadn't encountered another soul in nearly a week. His sober presentation must have been convincing, however, as four outriders soon rode in to flank him, and escorted him down the hill after only a simple questioning.
"Kian'ra made no mention of a human ally. You will explain your intentions to us."
"Who are you, soldier, to share such personal details with our goddess?" Talos brazenly asked of him. "My arrival here is for her sake alone, and she will be most displeased to know that you held me away."
The elf only glared at him in reply, but Talos could read on his thoughts that he'd already fled from any attempt to gather information from him. The five then rode down the hill together, and towards the army of elves.
Talos was surprised to see that the elvish host were already encamped for the day. The sun would be right overhead had there not been clouds veiling it, and an army should have been making miles yet, only to camp but an hour before sunfall. But as Talos scanned the throngs of elves he passed, the truth of the matter hit him hard and fast.
Women. Children. The sick and the old. This was no army; this was a tribe. A collection of souls bound by blood and by time, completely nomadic until they found a new place to settle. In other words, they were desperate; and, if Casiama was here, then she was likely their source of hope. It was an entirely believable prospect, of course. She did the same for Talos, after all; his shining light on that otherwise-miserable day.
But there were soldiers about, as well. Elves of the Mossy Tree, elves of the Cross, elves of the Ocean Wave, and a few other banners Talos couldn't recognize. What a haphazard collection his Casiama had gathered.
"Human! Wait here," his escort commanded. Talos complied with a nod and a smirk, and hopped from the saddle after giving Spirit a pat on the neck. He watched two of the riders canter off further into camp, into the endless throng, and was left standing with the two remaining.
Talos shifted on his feet, shrugging off the anxious glances and the hushed whispers of those around him. They were scared; of what, Talos wasn't sure. But he did his best to ensure that he didn't show the fears that he himself felt in his heart.
"So, uh... you guys invade other countries often?" Talos asked of one of his remaining escorts.
"Silence, human."
"What?" he chuckled, shrugging. "Just making conversation."
As expected, the elves didn't appear very amused. Talos sighed, and decided to remain silent for the next five minutes until the two other riders returned to him.
"Kian'ra will see you. You will need to leave your weapons here."
Talos pretended to think on it a moment before unstrapping his sword belt, letting it crash against the grass with a dull thud. He then unequipped his crossbow and handed over the two other knives on his person to the closest rider.
"Can I bring Spirit? He gets a bit antsy when he's left to his own devices," Talos smirked. The elf he spoke to glanced towards his compatriot, and Talos realized he needed to redress his words. "My horse gets restless when I am away from him."
"Fine. Come with me, human."
Talos nodded to him, then patted Spirit on the neck while he nonchalantly checked over his saddlebags. He ensured his second sword Cassandra was still well-hidden, just as he'd planned this morning, and then led his horse by the reins as he followed in the wake of his escort. Talos tried to calm his heart with a deep exhalation; he'd thought it a coin flip this morning whether or not the elves would check his bags for another sword. But what kind of man carried two swords, anyway?
But the faces of those elves he passed didn't stay his pounding heart. What were they so afraid of? What would they have to fear, believing that their army was led by one of the divines themselves? Was it the mere proximity of a goddess which led to this fear?
Talos shrugged it off. He had to focus. He'd traveled so far to see his Casiama, yet had failed to prepare any words for her. A simple 'let's go' would have sufficed for
his
Cass... but now, who knew?
"Wait here, human. She will come shortly."
"Mm," Talos mumbled, hiding his trembling hands from the many elves milling about. He reminded himself to stay his breaths. He had to focus.
Focus.
Only a minute or two had passed before a beautiful elven princess presented herself to him; but it was not
his
elven princess. Talos recognized her immediately as Faranya, the other elf who had gone missing on that fateful day at Dun Aysla.
She didn't appear very different from the day he'd seen her disappear. She wore more clothing, of course; a light green dress that fell to her knees and left her shoulders bare, and a pair of sandals on her feet. She bore a circlet of twigs on her forehead, which swept over her pointed ears and through her long blonde hair. Yet, something seemed horribly, horribly different about her. The smile?
"I present the High Lady Faranya of Tor Remilla and Kian'ra on Mundus, Bestower of the Infinite Sky and the Bringer of Every Wind. You will address her as 'your eminence', and her word is testament. Kneel before her."
But...
what
?
They were mistaken. This wasn't Kianra. Surely
Faranya
hadn't mantled the goddess? Surely Tanya would never make such a mistake? Surely the Oracle, in all her great wisdom, would never confuse these two elves?!
Talos cleared his throat. He suddenly felt horribly unstable, and his eyesight went blurry for a moment. His hand slipped when reaching for a nearby rock, and felt as if his entire world was unraveling.
"Kneel!"
Faranya shook her head, stifling a laugh. "Come now, Orion, he knows I am not her."
Just a trick
. Talos didn't know whether to damn the gods or praise them.
"Faranya," he exhaled. "It's... a pleasure to see you in good health." As it meant that Casiama was as well.
"And you, Talos. I... find it truly remarkable that you stand before me now."
"Yeah? Well, uh, I wasn't the one that disappeared in a, uh, pillar of fire... and Cass?"
Faranya pursed her lips. Talos, even with Alanna still forty miles away, could still read her well enough to know she was just as frightened as he. She scanned the elves around them and smiled.
"Orion, could you please leave us be? I will take him to her directly," she sweetly said.
"What?! My lady, you must reconsider."
"Must I? Surely you do not believe that this man is a threat to her?"
The elven outrider known as Orion shook his head. "No, my lady, but to you-"
"He is my friend! Leave us be!" Faranya exclaimed, folding her arms under her breasts. A stunned Talos nearly let out a whistle as he looked on the unamused High Lady of Remilla. The remainder of the elves eventually found the will to step away, and returned to whatever it was they were supposed to be doing. Faranya trode towards him with graceful stride, and swept a hand under his arm.
"The 'High Lady' Faranya?" Talos smirked. She gently slapped his arm.
"The title of one who should wear a crown, but does not. Damn it, Talos, why are you here?" Faranya whispered to him as they slowly began making their way towards the great mesa. Talos tugged on the reins of his horse with his free hand.
"Came to rescue Cass," he answered reticently.
"I meant...
how
are you here?"
"A seer told me to come."
Faranya sighed. "You being here will not help her, Talos. She anticipated your arrival."
Talos rolled his eyes. "Faranya, can you please-" he cleared his throat, waiting for an elf to pass, then leaned in to whisper, "can you please tell me what the fuck is going on?"
"Not here. Just walk with me," she murmured with a manufactured smile. Talos had no choice but to acquiesce.
The pair made their way arm-in-arm through group after group of distraught-looking elf, towards the mesa of Dancer's Hill. They pretended to make light conversation with one another, hoping to make the strange union of man and elf appear less concerning to those around them. Judging from the thoughts bouncing through Talos' skull, the deception wasn't working.
Eventually the crowd of elves thinned out near the base of the hill, and Talos found it isolated enough to begin asking the torrent of questions he had for the princess.
"So, where is she?" Talos anxiously asked. Faranya nodded towards the peak of the mesa before them, then released herself from Talos' grasp and turned towards him.
"Up there. Recently she has been seeking isolation more often than not. Perhaps she finds the rest of us unworthy of her company," Faranya answered, a dreadful scorn dripping from every other word.
"And at Dun Aysla? What happened there?"
Faranya gave him an anxious smile, showing a hint of her dimples. "Nothing much of note. I... reached out to touch that large green stone, and then...
nothing
," she sighed.
"Nothing?"
"Uh! I mean, well,
something
