Orc Dominion: Elfin Descent

A powerful sea breeze whipped through Lyriena's hair as the wind and a strong human crew propelled the human galley, Fortune, from the Elfish Isles and took her away from the kingdom for the first time in her life. Many lower class elfs had made the trek to the mainland of late, seeking jobs in the prosperous human lands, but this would be the first time in living memory that a member of the elfish royalty would leave the islands and travel to the continent. Lyriena felt like she was entering a lion's den; the human lands, if they could still be called that, were said to be a brutal, violent place filled with dangerous people consumed by lust for power, wealth, and flesh. It seemed like the mainlanders couldn't go even a decade without declaring war on one another. When do elfs ever fight among themselves the way humans do, she thought to herself, we moved past that generations ago.

Still, it was a bit exciting, to be entering a strange new country. Lyriena had never been beyond Bellandria, the capital island of Deznessuian. Her heart was already beating faster at the thought of the adventure. Plus, by embarking on this journey she could inspire some hope to her people already living in Zentara that prosperity would be returning to the Isles, and that soon they would be able to come home and resume their lives.

Captain Goriel and the rest of her guard were on the foredeck of the galley practicing maneuvers. Elfin warriors were masters of the spear, a weapon well suited to warfare between ships and defending mountainous terrain. She was glad they were here to protect her from the licentious humans and orcs. Their martial bearing would surely be a deterrent to orcs and humans alike, and let them know that despite our small size and population, Deznessuian was not to be trifled with. The Princess turned back to the sea, looking north over the horizon, wondering when they would spot land again. The trip to the continent was not long, requiring less than a week's worth of travel if the winds were good.

Lyriena crossed her arms over her chest, covering the pointed nubs poking through the white silk of her dress. Although it was warm out, the breeze rushing across the open deck of the ship sent a chill through her, and the thin material of her outfit did little to protect her. A sudden swell in the sea made her lurch and grip the side of the ship tightly. The bulky human galleys were not nearly as smooth or elegant as the elfish ships, but then, elfish vessels didn't fare well in the deep waters between the Elfish Isles and the human lands. They were shallow water ships, excellent at navigating the rocks and shoals of the Isles.

Lyriena's reverie was broken by a shout from the crow's nest. A bustle of activity erupted on the deck, with Goriel and her guard all turned towards the sun. The elf princess hurried across the deck to stand by her subjects. "What is the matter, Captain?"

"An unknown ship has been spotted bearing down on us, Princess."

Lyriena squinted as she tried to see, but the ship was traveling from the North West with the sun at its back. "Will it intercept us?"

"It appears so, Princess. It has clearly been built for speed. Look there, the Captain Derego is signaling the ship."

Lyriena turned towards the human captain of the ship, and saw him directing a sailor to signal the oncoming ship. "Are they responding?"

Derego turned to look at the beautiful elf princess. "Not yet, yer highness. And that don't bode well. They're likely pirates coming to see what we've got."

Lyriena had heard that pirates had begun raiding the shipping between the Elfish Isles and Zentara. It wasn't entirely clear who was behind the attacks, though. Some said it was Hestens in rebellion against the new king, others said it was Zentarans trying to put more pressure on the elfs. The Zentarans blamed the elfs, saying the pirates were impoverished elfs who had no other recourse but piracy. Likely, the truth was a mixture of all three, though she was loath to admit it.

"We don't have any cargo, Derego, and I know we're not sailing low in the water, so that should be obvious even to them. What do you think they want?"

"I hate to say it yer highness, but it's likely you they're after. The pirates have agents in all the ports to pick up on which traffic is sailing where," Derego replied. Goriel tightened his grip on the spear, and began to give orders to his men to prepare to repel borders.

"Impossible! I refuse to believe that any of my people would sell me out to pirates!"

"Believe it or not, yer highness, that's up to you. Fact is they are coming. I'll try to outrun them, but you might consider surrendering if they catch us. They'll hold you for a pretty ransom, but that's all. No offense, yer highness, but yer not worth as much if yer damaged."

Lyriena paled at the prospect of surrendering herself to the captors. Goriel turned back to her. "Do not even consider it, Princess. We've been charged by the King to keep you safe, and we shall. Elfs have forgotten more about combat in the water than humans ever knew. These pirates are used to boarding ships and scaring crews into submission, not pitched battles between ships."

Lyriena nodded, hoping that her Captain was right. The ship continued to get closer, and a sinking feeling formed in her stomach. The pirate ship was much larger, and she could begin to see the crew scurrying about the ship getting ready for combat. The Fortune raced forward, but the single row of oarsmen and the smaller sail couldn't keep it ahead of the double decked pirate ship, which steadily gained on them. Before she knew it, the pirate vessel began to slide alongside the Fortune.

"Princess, it is time for you to go below deck. Lorien, Elemere, escort the Princess to her quarters!"

Before the guards could take her to safety, a booming voice hailed them from the pirate ship. "Ho there, Fortune! Come about and lower your sails! Surrender the princess to us and you won't be harmed! You can keep your ship and crew!" Lyriena looked to the foredeck of the pirate ship and saw the captain, a large human with blonde hair and a handsome, chiseled face.

The human crew instinctively stopped rowing and looked uncertainly towards Derego. Seeing their hesitation, Goriel turned towards his men. "Fire!" The elfish guards raised their crossbows and unleashed a volley of bolts towards the pirate ship. The quarrels raced through the air and slammed into the pirates armed with the grappling hooks needed to tie the ships together.

An angry cry erupted from the pirate ship, and soon a flurry of arrows came flying towards the Fortune. Several tore through the sail, while others rained down on the deck, but the elfs' shields protected them and only a few of the human crew were injured. Lyriena cried out and scurried behind some barrels for cover. Her guard reloaded their crossbows and released another volley. The torrent of bolts was not as effective this time, as more of the pirates had taken cover. The two ships exchanged fire as the bumped and crashed against one another. The pirate captain shouted something to his oarsmen, and soon the bow of their ship was pushing against the Fortune. A dozen daring pirates leaped from their ship towards the galley, though Lyriena heard several more splashing into the ocean as the Fortune tried to pull away.

"There she is! Grab her!" The pirates on board cried out and began dashing towards her. Lorien and Elemere shot two with their crossbows, and then rushed to challenge the remaining six pirates. Armed with buckler shields and long spears, they kept the unarmored humans at bay, stabbing and thrusting at them. The pirates fanned out, but with her back to the castle of the ship and the barrels in front of her, they couldn't reach her without coming into range of the spears.

The Captain and the rest of her Guard were taking withering fire from a relentless rain of arrows, though their shield wall kept them safe. Hopefully the pirates wouldn't be able to sustain this rate of fire and would run out of arrows soon. Looking back at Lorien and Elemere, she could see their arms beginning to tire from the constant thrusting and slashing at the humans.

Lyriena cried out as Elemere's spear dipped and one of the pirates charged at the opening, raising his saber to cut him down. In a flash Lorien drew his dagger and threw it at the man who caught it with his chest and sank down to the desk. Elemere then stabbed across Lorien's chest to stick another pirate who was attempting to capitalize on the guard's distraction. She sighed in relief as she realized that the whole thing was a ruse.

The remaining four pirates charged forward, cursing the elfs and hacking wildly in an attempt to beat their way through the defenses. Her guards started to flag under the assault, until Lorien called out, "Captain!"

The shield wall opened to the rear, and four crossbows twanged, hitting each of the remaining pirates. Stillness fell across the deck as the rain of arrows stopped. The silence lasted only a moment though until it was broken by the clang of grappling hooks finally connecting to the side of the Fortune and winching the ships together. More pirates began to leap onto the ship, dozens of them. These ones were armored in leather and bore shields and attacked the shield wall with a fierce determination.

The Captain of her Guard called for a line formation, and the elfs spread out across the deck of the galley to block the assault. As Lorien and Elemere guided her below deck, she looked back to see the pirate captain, dressed in leather armor with a chain doublet emblazoned with the bearded lion of Heste.

Once below deck, Lyriena fetched water from the stores to help refresh her guards. "You both fought magnificently, and have done me proud. You are to be commended, and I will see to it that you are honored most highly when we return."

"That isn't necessary, Princess."

"We've merely done our duty. The Captain would have our heads if anything befell you."

Combat raged on above them, sounding closer and more vicious with each passing second. A shiver ran through her as she heard a scream above deck, followed by what could only be the sound of a body hitting the deck. Someone had just died, and for what? Gold? Am I really worth so much in ransom that it justifies all this carnage?

Someone rapped furiously on the barred door. "Princess! Come out, now! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Don't answer him, Your Highness. We'll protect you."

"Princess! Don't serve yourself up to the orcs! They can't be trusted! Come with me, and we'll stop them together!" The voice stopped as the sounds of battle grew closer. Evidently whoever had been shouting was too hard pressed to continue haranguing her.

Elenorei pressed against Lyriena, holding the Princess' hand tightly. "What do you think he meant? That you and he could stop the orcs together?"

"It is probably a trick, my dear." Lyriena rubbed the back of Elenorei's hand. "A trick to get me to come out so they could kidnap me and hold me for ransom."

"Her Highness is right, Elenorei. It was a trick and nothing more" Lorien said, while Elemere nodded in agreement.

The sounds of battle began to recede and fade as it moved away from their cabin. A quarter of an hour after that and Captain Goriel joined her below deck. "They are cleaning the upper deck now, Your Highness, and moving the wounded below for treatment. We've driven them off, and I don't think they will be back again."

"Do you know who they were, or what they wanted? One of them called down to me, and said that he wanted to fight the orcs together."

"Derego said that it was likely Henry Ousten, cousin to the last King of Heste. He's a pretender to the throne, and has made a nuisance of himself up and down the coast." The Captain of her Guard sighed, looking tired. Blood stained his clothes and matted his short, blonde hair to his head. He didn't seem injured though, so she assumed the blood wasn't his. It had clearly been a hard fight above deck.

"Ah, that explains why I saw the Hesten standard. How many men did we lose, Captain?"

"Three dead, a dozen wounded, six seriously."

Lyriena frowned, her shoulders sagging. "So many?" Elenorei wrapped her arm around Lyriena and pulled her close.

"It was their duty. Hopefully it will be the last bloodshed we see on this journey, Your Highness. But each man here is prepared to die for you. Not just because you're our Princess, but because you're our best hope for our people."

She sat there for a long while silently, before finally rising to her feet. "I should go and see the wounded, and thank the men for their service." Lyriena walked up to the deck, trying to hold back her tears even knowing that she hadn't seen the worst yet.

****

The fresh, salty smell of the sea quickly gave way to the dark brown water and rancid stench of the city of Ruar as the Fortune pulled into the port. The ship had already signaled their arrival, so a delegation from the castle was already on site to meet them. Lyriena eagerly climbed down the gangplank and onto the dock, grateful to be on solid ground once again. As the ship's crew began to unload her possessions, a human man who appeared to be of noble birth approached her retinue, only to be stopped by her guards.

"Your Highness! Princess Lyriena Eomowien, I presume. I am Chancellor Timothy Freywin, here to escort you to temporary lodgings where you can freshen up, before moving on to the castle." The Chancellor seemed a little apprehensive about something, but she dismissed it as nerves. Lyriena was used to having people be overwhelmed to meet her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Chancellor. Lead the way, I am eager to meet Queen Jeanette and her family. We have much to discuss." Lyriena smiled as Elenorei took her arm to help her along the docks. The wooden slats were old, worn, and uneven making it a difficult trek in her long dress. Elfin docks were never allowed to reach this condition, and were often carved from stone which meant they would last centuries.

"Yes...I'm sure Her Highness will be delighted to make your acquaintance as well." Timothy flushed and shuffled along ahead of them. He seemed like a shifty fellow to the Princess, and not at all like how a Chancellor should be, let alone one given the important mission of meeting a royal delegation. Hopefully Zentaran manners would improve during her stay here.

The streets of Ruar were filthy, and crowded with lower class, common people bustling this way and that. In Yemora, people knew to make a path for nobility. Here, it seemed that no one cared, and her guard had to create a phalanx around her to keep her from being swamped. As they took twisting and winding streets through the city, Lyriena began to notice more and more elfs lining the streets. She was appalled at the ramshackle buildings and their worn, tattered clothing. "Is this the Elfin District? This...this is terrible!"

"Er, well, yes, this is where most of the elfs who come to Ruar choose to congregate. You have to understand, they choose to live here, with their own people. It's not like there is a law or anything; we don't put them here."

The Princess' stomach lurched as she saw a scantily clad elf woman standing on a street corner, calling out to passing men and offering her body. For sure, there were brothels in Yemora and around Deznessuian, but this was so...seedy. She had been worried about the fate of the Isles if too many elfs left for Zentara, but now she was outraged over the lives they lived here. She had assumed they found honest work, and were not living in slums. Is this really a better life than they had back home?

"Here we are then." Timothy stopped them in front of a tall, brick building on the corner of a square. While it was cleaner and better built than the surrounding structures, it was hardly appropriate for a Princess. Seeing the outraged looks of the Princess and her retinue, the Chancellor was quick to add, "We assumed you would want to be among your people, and this is the, erm, finest establishment in the area." Timothy continued to look extremely uncomfortable with the situation, and with a tone of regret continued, "Unless of course, you didn't want to see your people?"

The impertinence of the man! He was being deliberately insulting! But how could she complain now, without looking like she didn't care about her people? "Very well, if this is the best you have to offer. Though if this is the best facility available to the elfs in your city, then your Lord Mayor should be ashamed. The meanest beggar in Deznessuian has better accommodations." But when she remembered the sights she saw when walking through Yemora, she doubted that was true.

"Right, well, like I said, this is where your people choose to settle. In any event, I will leave you to rest and freshen up. Her Highness invites you to attend her in audience tomorrow morning, two hours past dawn. I shall leave some of my footmen here." The Chancellor shot a warning glare as the two young men grinned and chuckled. "If you need anything, anything at all, they will assist. Good day, Your Highness." Timothy bowed, and after Lyriena nodded he quickly retreated.

"Of all the nerve. I cannot believe they are putting you in this position, Your Highness!" Elenorei looked up at the dismal building. "This is not appropriate at all!"

"They are playing games. I had not thought they would begin this quickly. I assumed it would start after tomorrow's audience. They are trying to assert dominance over us. The humans know we want trade to resume, and they are not going to let the negotiations go easily."

"How can they play games with people's live! It's cruel!" Elenorei said with a scowl.

"They are humans. And orcs." She added. "They do not care about their own people, so why should they care about ours? But at least it shows they want something, which means that we might be able to put things back the way they were." Lyriena tried to smile encouragingly. "Try to look on the bright side!"

The royal retinue entered the building, which was even noisier and more crowded than it was on the street. The downstairs was evidently a tavern of some sort, and Lyriena noted with dismay that many of the patrons were humans, and even a few orcs! The beasts were simply massive, towering over the elfin waitresses who served them drinks. Serving orcs drinks! Beside her, Elenorei gripped her arm tightly as they both took in the scene.

"Welcome to Fairy Lights, how may I-" A pretty looking veiled elfin woman stopped short as she noticed Princess Lyriena, confusion in her eyes. She could tell that elfen nobility was here, and couldn't understand why.

Goriel stepped forward. "This is Lyriena Eomowien, Crown Princess of Deznessuian, and your rightful sovereign."

"P-princess? Your Highness! Forgive me! I...I didn't expect to see you here. You're...you're the guests that the crown arranged for?" The elfin girl paled as she stared up at Lyriena, her eyes as wide as saucers.

From the tavern, a large party of human men began to drunkenly sing,

"Hesten girls are all wrapped up, beneath their wools and furs

They want a man to keep them warm at night and make their pussy purr

But when you get beneath their skirt, all you'll find is tangled burrs

If you want a silky lass it's Zentaran girls for me"

"Elenorei?" Another elfen woman appeared, and the princess was pleased to see she was also wearing a veil. She was taller than Lyriena, and probably taller than a short human woman, with a large bust, long dirty blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.

"Marietta? What are you doing here? How have you been we've all been so worried about you! Your Highness, this is my cousin, Marietta, whom I told you about." Elenorei gave the princess a big smile as she introduced her cousin.