Kraven watched in horror as the sky split in two. He could not move; he could only stare. The wind was bellowing past him at speeds that tore thousand-year-old trees apart like toothpicks, yet the wind felt like nothing against his standing body. He didn't seem to feel anything. Houses, trees, and people were all sucked into the sky, only to fall to their doom before ever reaching the terrible tear across the otherwise starry night. A prestigious castle lay in ruins, destroyed by some unknown event. The very ground itself looked as though it was about to burst.

  "Am I dreaming?" spoke the elf. He stared across the hill he was standing on and focused on the clashes of metal up ahead. Metal on metal, and yet no sound, just sparks flying from the ferocity of the strikes. Kraven heard nothing; it was as if his pointed ears were deaf to the world around him. A behemoth of a man with a beautifully jeweled sword clashed his blade with another. This other was old, elven. However, instead of the normal yellow or olive hue, his skin was gray, cracked in places, and his face bore a menacing look.

  The young Kraven felt his limbs drop from the invisible tension that kept him rooted to the spot. Now he could move, and he made his way down the hill toward the ferocious battle, debris spreading across the field, jagged and rough. It should've hurt the elf as he walked across it, but he felt nothing.

  The massive human bellowed in pain as his giant paw of a left hand was severed from his being. The hand hit the cracked and massacred ground with a thump. The sword that took his hand looked demonic in nature. "An elven sword with a purple aura?" whispered Kraven to himself. The golden sword looked to be dulled by the dark nightshade colored mana surrounding it. With a howl of pain and a white aura forming around the remaining hand of the human, he turned his palm to the old elf and shouted, "ERASE!" The young elf at least thought that was what the human was shouting; he couldn't tell, as all the surrounding sound was still muffled to his sharp ears.

  A blinding white light surrounded the old elf, who fell to one knee, looking burnt and defeated. The elf's pale skin grew red, shriveled, and weakened. The giant man roared and swung his sword down onto the old elf, to finish the job.

  As if on cue, Kraven snapped awake and hit his head on the stone bench he was sleeping under, his snow-white hair draped over his dismayed face. "Arghh... Stupid dreams," he spat out, as he cursed his brain for waking him. He rubbed his olive-skinned forehead, and, as he continued to use a few choice swear words, a small bump began to form where he was rubbing. "It's still night," whispered Kraven, presumably to himself.

  However, a squeaking could be heard from inside Kraven's black robe. What can only be described as a mechanically constructed mouse squeaked its gears and scurried out of his pocket. "Hey! Wait, Mizzy!" Kraven called out to his mechanical partner as she scurried away into the luscious grass of Kettle Park.

  With a sigh of frustration, Kraven sneaked around the park after his only friend. Well, he had friends back home, but he couldn’t exactly bring them here, as elves needed a good reason for entering into Kingsland. "You're gonna get me caught, you useless addict!" sneered Kraven. He knew better than to get caught by the humans; he did not belong to this kingdom. "Just wanted to take a nap before we head back to the village, but no, instead, I'm gonna get killed," whispered Kraven, still chasing his fleeing partner.

  Kraven reached into his pocket and pulled out his mini paper calendar, observing that it was the thirteenth day of the twenty-day month. "Of course, just my luck. Why does one day out of every month feel so unlucky?" he asked himself. Kraven instinctively held his hand near the waistband of his belt to prevent the bronze-plated dagger hooked to it to not jingle like a coin pouch. Mizzy could be heard with little clanks on the stone path winding across Kettle Park. “What's got you in such a mess?” “Why are you running like this, you silly mech!?” thought Kraven.

  The castle's huge frame was all that could be seen over the twenty-foot stone walls. To Kraven’s astonishment, he could only spot two guards on the walls; they weren't able to see him, as Kraven was too fast and quiet for them. He passed a couple of beautiful marble fountains as he continued his pursuit of his mechanical friend. Mizzy was running in earnest. She must have smelled something, thought Kraven. "Please don't tell me I'm running straight into an abomination attack," pleaded Kraven to himself. He proceeded to up his speed, and, after cutting across the Gregorian bushes, he knew he could catch up with the tiny limbs of the mech. As Mizzy stopped for a split second to sniff and change direction, Kraven began to glow a light mint green shade before he pounced.

  "Got you!" exclaimed Kraven, diving over a freshly grown bush to catch his current source of a headache. The minty green aura surrounding the boy faded just as quickly as it had appeared. Mizzy squeaked in Kraven’s hand as he began to speak. "Why’d you run off like that?" asked Kraven to the still-squeaking mech. Mizzy began to relax her mechanical joints and rumbled softly in Kraven’s hands. Still out of breath, Kraven tucked the little mech into his cloak pocket. "Why did you bring me all the way out here, little one?" whispered Kraven. "It probably smelled me," said a beautifully soft yet commanding voice.

  Kraven swiftly pulled out his bronze dagger and flipped the hood of his robe over his head. "Who's there?!" he hissed. "I mean you no harm,” came the voice in return. “I just haven't seen an elf besides Nymh and Brila in the castle in a long time. There is, of course, the Governor of Illiantra and his servants, but he hasn't been around here in over a year."

  Kraven's eyes went wide under his hood; it sounded like a human female, and she knew he was an elf. Kraven was contemplating running when a woman revealed herself from behind the tree on his right. He almost dropped his guard immediately, as she looked non-threatening. Her armor was sublime leather and shone slightly in the moonlight due to the chain mail laid across the leather gauntlets and chest plate. A black cloak draped down from her shoulders. Kraven looked for a weak spot and found she was holding no weapon, so he began to lower his dagger. That changed when Kraven spotted her left arm; a mechanical arm that could serve as a very deadly weapon. Yet, Kraven wasn't too concerned. After all, he was an elf, and elves were much better at controlling and managing mana than humans. However, some humans who had lost limbs and appendages were outfitted with Stygian metal prosthetics. Kraven was wise enough to know that Stygian metal would help conduct mana with much better strength than organic matter alone, making anyone with a prosthetic a potential threat.

  "I’m Kreia," the human female said. Kraven took a few steps back; his eyes began to dart around, seeking the quickest escape route. He took note of the surrounding forest, almost admiring the grandiose size of Kettle Park, which was able to accommodate a small forest. He knew already from years of sneaking into Kingsland that the wall had an exit gate in the forest, guarded by only a few men.

  "I’m not here to hurt you," Kreia said gently. Her face twisted into a frown as she spoke plainly.

  "Yeah right, human." Kraven began to back away as the girl ran a metal brush through her hair.

  "Listen, buddy, I’m doing you a favor," began Kreia. However, before she could finish, Kraven, sensing she had dropped her guard, sprinted in the opposite direction into the forest. "Wait, the forest is teeming with guar…" But Kraven wasn’t listening; he needed to get back to his village. Two years of this and someone finally spotted me, Kraven thought as he dashed and weaved through the thick oak trees.

  Kraven had been running for close to ten minutes before he abruptly stopped and, with the swiftness and grace of a cat, ran up and climbed a tall oak tree at the sight of glowing lanterns off in the distance. A guard could be heard speaking to his subordinates. "Keep sweeping, men. We’ll be relieved of duty soon.” The clanking of metal armor was also heard through the forest as they continued their patrols. They are patrolling this late!? thought Kraven. He weighed up his options while he sat hidden in the tree. They can’t catch me. I’m too fast, and that armor has to slow them down. As long as I dodge their weapons and magic, I should be fine.

  The guards, with their glowing lanterns, were now in full view, as they had proceeded just past the tree in which Kraven was hiding. "One, two, three, four, five... six... seven." Kraven’s eyes widened as he noticed the markings on the guards’ shining armor. He realized that these are King Stygullous’s barrack guards. A pike and skull were emblazoned on the shoulders of the armor worn by the guards; that is, all of them except the biggest one, who wore black ebony-looking armor. The rest wore suits of silver-stained iron. Kraven gulped, as he had no idea how he was going to get out of this mess.

  "Sevi, why are we even patrolling through these forests; there hasn't been an elf around here for months," spoke one of the shorter guards. The colossus of a man turned with a swiftness unbefitting a person of that size and responded, "King’s orders, Vander. You wanna be the one to disobey?" All of the other guards began chuckling at the mere notion of not listening to their beloved elf-hating king.

  "Of course not," responded Vander. "I was merely wondering, after two years of the same old security routine and patrols, why the sudden switch?"

  Sevi looked down at Vander from his great height. "You all know the blind elf-kin slave the king keeps, correct?"

  "Yes! Nymh, right?" interrupted one of the guards, to which an annoyed Vander shot a nasty look at the man, and he fell silent.

  "Yes... Nymh. Well, the old coot is a seer; he warned the king about three different plans to assassinate him, though he didn't know what the assassins looked like; only that they were coming… it’s an odd power."

  The guards murmured amongst themselves as they listened to the tale. “So we are looking for an elven assassin?” asked another guard. Sevi shook his head “No, just a regular elf as far as I’m aware.” Vander spoke again, adjusting the opening in his helmet. "Sir? Is he not a seer? He should be able to tell the future in its entirety, not just bits and pieces."

  Sevi began sharpening a piece of wood he picked up from the forest floor. "Aye, that's right, son, but it’s been over a decade, nearly two now, since Nymh has seen a clear image of the future instead of just bits and pieces; maybe it’s his old age."

  Kraven was outraged at what he was listening to. An elven slave? His blood boiled as he contemplated dropping down and killing the big one, but he was no warrior; he’d be slaughtered.

  "Yes, well, the seer predicted that the one we seek will be found in the woods tonight, so now we are looking for him… or her. That’s what you said, Sevi, and I’m not seeing anything out here," proclaimed Vander. He then began speaking to the group. "What if there's nothing here? The king will be furious!"

  Sevi laughed at the question. "Yes, he will be mad; a funny thing to see for sure until it is YOU who angered him, but, with the old seer proving useful and correct on a lot of occasions, I suppose the king will continue seeking his counsel." Vander began to speak but was interrupted by footsteps. "MEN!" A familiar voice was heard, followed by frantic running. Every member of the King’s Guard turned in the direction of the female calling out to them.

  "Lady Kreia!" said Vander, greeting the king’s daughter.

  "There was an elf that ran into the forest! Did you cross paths?"

  The King’s Guards looked at Lady Kreia, bewildered.

  "I’m sorry, my lady, we’ve been sweeping the forest all night. Are you sure you’re not tired?" questioned Vander.

  "I know what I saw," replied Kreia. She began to raise her mechanical arm to her right eye, whispering to herself.

  "Ma’am… are you feeling alri–,"

  But Sevi cut off the speaking guard. "Watch closely, Milos; you’re about to see the king’s daughter in action."

  Kreia removed her mechanical arm from her eye, and, to the surprise of all the guards present, apart from Sevi, a yellow glow emanated in its place. "You can come out from that tree, elf," spoke Kreia.

  Kraven became even more wide-eyed than he thought possible. He stayed silent.

  "I know you're up there; come on down, I will not harm you," Kreia called out.

  Vander turned to Kreia with his head held high. "Point out the tree, my lady; I shall bring the scum down."

  Kraven gulped. Was this it? He was going to be captured and killed. Elves weren’t allowed within the king’s grounds without permission. He would be executed for sure.

  "No harm will befall this one," spoke Kreia sternly, catching Vander by surprise.

  Sevi and Kreia abruptly looked at each other and nodded. Sevi began to crouch as a green aura surrounded his legs, and he quickly leapt high toward the heavens.

  "By the gods, Sevi, you’ve jumped to the top of the tree in one leap!" said Vander. "How new are you men?" asked Kreia, cursing her lack of seasoned soldiers.

  The other guards laughed with Vander, all of them acknowledging how green they were. Sevi didn’t reply to any of this, as he was busy wrestling Kraven off the tree to the point that they both plummeted from the top.

  "Get off me, human! I've done noth–" Kraven was swiftly silenced by a metal gag wrapping around his mouth. The mana-powered lock sprang to life, covering the bottom half of his face. However, they didn’t bind his legs or his eyes, which were all Kraven needed to escape.

  Milos helped Sevi up from his fall. "This little rat is far from home!" exclaimed Milos, causing laughter to erupt within the barracks guards. All laughed, apart from Sevi and Kreia. Kraven was angry. Kreia approached the elf, but, before she could speak, she was quickly kicked in the face by Kraven as he sprinted away.

  "My lady!" screamed Vander, before taking out his sword and throwing it like a spear at Kraven. He dodged and began full-on sprinting as now his life depended on it. Sorry, humans, no elf sacrifice today, thought Kraven to himself. If it weren't for the gag, it would be possible to see Kraven smiling from ear to ear, but it didn't last long. His momentum was suddenly halted, and he stared in horror at the sight before him. The girl stood in front of him, her nose bloodied, and a fist of metal collided with Kraven, knocking him out cold. Kreia smirked before speaking to herself, "He's fast."

  ***

  A familiar wind was wrapping itself like a cloak around Kraven. An even more familiar starry sky greeted him from where he lay as he stared, skyward. "I can’t move," was what Kraven tried to say, but he couldn’t. Am I dreaming? he thought, with a sense of déjà vu. The wind was silenced as the sky ripped open like a festering wound, causing dark waves of mana to emanate from the tear, and a black and purple mist began to flood the ground below. Trees were ripped to shreds as a mishmash of civilians, soldiers, humans, and elves all soon found themselves sucked up into the sky. Some of them made it to the rip in the sky, while others weren't so lucky, plummeting to their doom.

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  Horribly scarred creatures, grotesque in both strength and physique, appeared, some with spikes, some with claws, some with both. These creatures descended from the rip in the sky. These monsters attacked and killed humans, elves… anything. Some people appeared to scream in terror, making the fact that Kraven could hear nothing that much more unnerving. He could see their armor and the metal from their swords being pushed into and fused with their bodies. Some elves were quickly enveloped by the black and purple aura, deforming them into similarly disgusting monstrosities, the same ones that fell from the sky. What is this? What’s going on? The fear intensified in the young elf. Kraven spotted a familiar figure. The giant human that lost his hand in his previous dream was holding the body of a woman, and he was weeping. Kraven could not hear anything, but the look on the man’s face was more than sufficient to make a tear form in Kraven’s eye.

  "You’re seeing what I want you to see…"

  A dark, chilling voice crept into Kraven’s mind before he woke up, feeling cold water against his skin. He was chained up. The last thing he remembered was the beautiful face of the human female. She must’ve knocked him out.

  "You’re finally awake," spoke an all-too-familiar voice.

  Kraven rattled his chains in disgust. "Let me go! I’ve done nothing!" He stopped yelling; he had a wicked headache.

  "You made me bleed, punk!" It was Kreia’s turn to yell, and she spoke indignantly.

  Kraven noticed the dry blood under the girl’s nose.

  "I haven’t been caught off guard like that in a while."

  Kraven stopped struggling and silently accepted his fate. Kreia looked at the elf, slightly amused. "Why did you run?" she asked, now having calmed herself over the bloodied nose. Kraven laughed at the girl.

  "Why? Look at me!" Kraven shook his shackles as if to prove a point.

  "If you had come quietly, there would be no need for this," said Kreia with a smirk.

  Kraven’s eyes finally adjusted to his surroundings. He was in a cell; it was dark, cold, and formed by obsidian rock, with metal bars closing him off to the outside world. A tiny three-by-four window was nestled near the top with the moonlight shining through, providing the only light in the damp cell. The girl had not changed, except for her silver hair being a bit untidy, hanging in strands, and, of course, the dried blood. Up close, Kraven could see her eyes more clearly. They were green, like his. He could tell, despite being seated, that she was actually a bit taller than him. His wandering thoughts on her complexion and features were soon shattered by his uncontrollable shivering.

  "I’m wet and freezing," complained Kraven. Kreia scoffed and, at that moment, took a few steps forward, and her face could be seen in the moonlight. Kraven could see the dried-up blood on her lip and nose much clearer now. She raised her mechanical arm and whispered something quiet; so quiet that even the elf’s hearing could not pick it up.

  This is it, thought Kraven.

  "Do it!" yelled Kraven.

  Kreia was a bit bewildered at the yell that erupted from the elf. His voice sounded darker than she remembered; even Kraven was caught off guard at the sound of his voice, but he simply chalked it up to his desire to die with a bit of defiance in him. Kraven could feel the heat emanating from the mechanical limb and closed his eyes. She’s gonna cook me, he thought, resigned to his bad luck. However, it wasn't emanating fire, but, rather, it was simply heating, almost like a hot wind, and it felt like heaven on Kraven’s cold body.

  “I’m sorry; I know it may be hard to believe, but I have no prejudice against elves. I’m not like my father,” spoke Kreia.

  The elf scoffed, and his chains rattled. "I don't give a damn about your father. Let me go back to my village; I have friends waiting for me!" pleaded Kraven. The heat continued to bathe Kraven in a warm air bath.

  "Do you have family in your village?" continued Kreia.

  Kraven kept his wits about him. Would they go after his family? "No… not by blood, at least."

  Kreia nodded. "You're a fast elf. You clearly have no mana training, and yet you can run at speeds almost as fast as me. I have my own unit, a detachment for my father. I would like to extend an invitation to you.”

  Kraven was shocked; so much so that he almost forgot to laugh. But Kraven never lost his sense of humor in moments of absurdity, and he did laugh. “No wonder elves hate humans; Is this how you ask for help? You tie them down and force them?”

  Kreia sighed. “No one is forcing you. However, if you join, you’ll be my slave. It’s the only way I can pass it off to my father.”

  Kraven was appalled. “I will not be your slave!!”

  “You won’t be treated as one!!” yelled Kreia.

  The room fell silent again; an eerie quiet, and a sense of remembrance was in the air, with nothing but the frigid obsidian stone as company. Kraven felt like he had seen this before, only for the thought to be lost in the wind.

  “I need someone with your speed and agility; I need you.”

  Kraven laughed again. “How ironic. The humans that treated my people like garbage are now begging for help.”

  Kreia responded promptly. “You certainly don’t owe us anything, but if you don’t join me, my father will have you executed for attacking me. I’m the reason you’re locked up in this cell and not buried in a grave.”

  Kraven fell silent. “Why...why me? Who the hell is your father?”

  Kreia looked slightly embarrassed, but, before she could answer any more than “The king,” the clanking of footsteps could be heard.

  “Lady Kreia, your papers for the new slave,” spoke a giant of a man. Kraven remembered his frame instantly. It was the man who pulled him out of the tree. “Thank you, Sevi. Does my father wish to speak to him?” Sevi nodded and proceeded to unlock the cell and walk over to Kraven. “I’m no slave…”

  Sevi laughed jovially. “Well, lad, on paper you are, so let’s get going.” He unhooked Kraven, who instantly reached for his dagger, but, of course, he should have realized they took it.

  “Where’s Mizzy?!” yelled Kraven, as the hulking man grabbed both his arms and escorted him away. “You hurt that mech and I’ll ki–”, he started to shout, but the yelling subsided as Kraven and Sevi left the dungeon and Kreia behind. A swift but light smack to the back of the elf’s head was all that was needed to silence him as the two entered the hall. “Relax, elf-kin, you have plenty of time for yelling later,” said Sevi.

  Kraven’s eyes needed to adjust to the blinding light of the castle hallways; beautifully cut stone and elegant linen rugs and tapestries adorned with various insignias of the human monarchy lined the floors and walls. Intricate light fixtures and torches lit the stunning architecture. If it wasn’t built by a human, Kraven would be impressed.

  “Is this your first time inside the castle?” asked Sevi. Kraven looked up at his captor and frowned. “What do you think?” “Ya, Ya… just trying to make conversation, elf-kin.”

  The walk felt like it took forever. The large man took Kraven to a beautifully crafted wooden door with bronze door handles. Kraven also noticed the striped, gold-laden maple wood; he hated to admit it, but such craftsmanship was beautiful.

  “These are the slaves’ quarters; you’re only the third elf spared in this kingdom, so don’t do anything foolish.”

  The door slammed shut, and Kraven took in his surroundings. Three beds. A half-ripped carpet lined the stone floor; no windows, no way out apart from the door in which he came. The room was empty apart from some trinkets that Kraven could see near the two beds. What appeared to be a wooden staff and a couple of books lay at the foot of the empty bed on the right. Kraven assumed this was his bed, considering the flowers plastered on one bed and a series of seemingly random objects on the nightstand of the other bed. The third bed also looked quite a bit newer than the others.

  “Why would someone keep all this useless junk?” spoke Kraven to himself. “Useless junk?? I thought it was gold!! Hahaha!” Kraven was startled by the old raspy voice coming from the wall. “Who’s there?!” shouted Kraven, reaching for his bronze dagger, only to once again be disappointed that it wasn’t there. “Shhhhhhh!” the voice replied. “They’ll find us if you keep shouting.”

  The voice was coming from an old man. But where? Kraven’s head spun around, searching for the body to accompany this disembodied voice. All of a sudden, an old man appeared before him, sitting cross-legged on the same bed with the junk on it. “Boo! Hahaha!”

  Kraven jumped, startled. “Who are you? Get away!”

  The decrepit man kept laughing, and Kraven noticed his eyes; they were glazed over. He was blind. Then, he noticed the pointed ears sticking out from the sides of the old man’s head. “You’re an elf!” said Kraven.

  The old man laughed a little less. “So are you, young one!”

  Kraven took a step back. “How do you know that?” he asked, almost begging for an answer.

  “Because he’s a seer! Not to mention, you’re in the slave quarters. They only put us elves in here, dummy,” answered a female voice, causing the young elf to jump in fright once more.

  “Sorry, Nymh here was helping me practice my invisibility,” said the female elf.

  Kraven was taken aback. “H-How? You look younger than me!! How are you so good at controlling mana?”

  Nymh began laughing again, as if Kraven had just told a great joke.

  “You’re an elf too; a young one, but elves are better at controlling mana than any other species. Surely you know this.”

  “That’s what we were taught, but I don’t think that’s true. Our people were defeated in the war by humans over half a century ago!” replied Kraven.

  The girl stepped in. “Wrong again, dummy; the elves were defeated because they opened the abyss, and it backfired. Surely, you didn’t think it was all humans the whole time?! If that's what they taught you in school, they're dead wrong. The king explained the third Elven War to me himself; he should know what happened, he was there,” said the elf, with a tinge of superiority in her voice.

  Kraven gave the female elf an annoyed look. “Who even are you, elf-kin?”

  “I’m Brila, the youngest and ONLY elf in Ms. Kreia’s special squad!”

  Kraven scoffed. “You’re pretty happy for a slave.”

  Brila looked at Kraven with a frown as Nymh shook his head. “Slave is just a word for our paranoid, untrusting king. Not all humans are like that; Kreia treats us well.”

  Kraven wasn’t convinced and scoffed again at the notion. “At what price? Your freedom?”

  Nymh looked directly into Kraven’s eyes; considering he was blind and no longer laughing, it was quite unnerving. “I’ve been alive for ninety-eight years, my young fellow. I’ve lived through war, and while I don’t agree with the king’s prejudice, his daughter is next in line, and she promised personally that when she’s in power she would mend the relations between elves and humans.”

  “I don’t believe it,” said Kraven. “Whether this future queen agrees with acknowledging the existence of elves or not, who’s going to convince everyone else?”

  The old man laughed. “Well, you are, Kraven.”

  Kraven shot a look back at the man. “How do you know my name?”

  The door swung open; Kreia and Sevi were standing in the doorway. "His name is Kraven, my lady," said Nymh. "Thank you for finding that out, Nymh," replied Kreia.

  Sevi motioned to Kraven to come with him. Kraven was hesitant, but what choice did he have? He nodded and shot a look back at the old seer, who, shockingly, waved directly at him. "I don’t need my eyes to see, young Kraven. Please be respectful to the king; we need you." Kraven tried to speak, but Sevi interrupted. "Good advice, Nymh; come along, Kraven."

  Kreia and Sevi led Kraven back out into the grand hall. The walk was awkward; Kraven spent a moment assessing if he could run away, but all the guards they passed along the path killed that idea in his mind.

  "No harm will come to you," said Kreia as the three approached a grand, iron door; the intricate chiseling and designs were magnificent. Kraven stood silent, his black robe concealing his tightened fists, which were clenched in anger.

  "Don’t do anything stupid, lad. He will probably snap at you for attacking Lady Kreia, but keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine," spoke Sevi.

  Kraven was outraged. "The king? You're actually making me meet Felixious Stygullous? The elf-hating king? Don't you see I'm an elf?"

  Sevi reached out his armored hand and opened the grand entrance. "If it makes you feel any better, he hasn't killed an elf in nearly a decade now; just hates them," he whispered in reply.

  “That you know of..” whispered back Kraven.

  Sevi used his other massive arm to push him into the throne room and closed the grand doors behind the two of them as Sevi himself joined. Kraven hated to admit it, but the king's throne room was astonishing. White marble floors covered in silky rugs and two polished wooden tables laden with food that gave off the most delectable aroma Kraven had ever smelled especially stood out to him. There was enough food on those tables to feed his entire village.

  Kraven’s eyes wandered as he was led to the solid silver throne with the king lightly napping upon it. The only people in the room were the king and some unknown guards. The four men were eating at one end of the grand table, their helmets lying beside their goblets of wine, and their knives hard at work tearing up meat.

  “Your Majesty,” stated Sevi with a bow. The king stirred from his grand slumber and began to stare; he looked pretty much what Kraven had expected. He was tall, with a red fur cape wrapped around his back, and flowing white hair like a lion's mane fell to his shoulders. A distinct scar displayed prominently on his face, diagonal from left to right. A gold and silver pendant rested gently across his chest, peering through his purple silk robes. He demanded the room’s attention with his piercing ocean blue eyes; they seemed to have dulled with age but were nonetheless ever present with an authoritative command.

  “Proceed,” spoke the king. His voice was intimidating, to say the least. Sevi nodded. “This is the new slave, your majesty; he’s been signed to your daughter.”

  The king looked in contempt at the elf. “What powers do you possess, boy?” he boomed. Kraven looked up and tried not to frown at the king sitting before him.

  “I don’t know what you mean, Your Majesty.”

  An uproar from the king could be heard as he stood, "Don’t hide anything from me, elf-kin!" yelled the king, so loud that even Sevi took a slight step back. That’s when Kraven noticed the king’s left hand, encased in solid gold mechanics. "Reveal!" yelled the king, stretching out his left hand.

  Kraven had had enough. The left hand of the king began to glow, and Kraven yelled, "I’m tired of this!" In the blink of an eye, Kraven snatched the dagger from Sevi’s sheath and bolted directly in front of the king. His eyes glaring with anger, he thrust the knife in the direction of the king’s neck. Kraven could quite literally see the king smile as he attempted this. He didn’t connect.

  Kraven’s eyes turned from pure anger into pure shock.

  The king let out a hearty laugh. “You're a fast elf, but not fast enough.” The solid gold left hand of the king was still glowing. Kraven was frozen in mid-air, the dagger inches from the king’s neck. He went flying at the slightest movement of the king's hand, landing on the floor in front of Sevi.

  “I’m curious, elf; after you killed me, what was it that you were planning to do next?” Kraven, winded, replied, “I don’t care, just so long as a slaver like yourself is eradicated.”

  The king’s intrigued demeanor turned to shock at the outburst, but he calmly replied, “History is history, elf; your people nearly wiped the humans out. We took advantage of their greed and took out your misfiring elves. You weren’t alive when the abyss was opened; you didn’t fight in the war. I DID, and they are lucky I was merciful enough in our victory to grant them their land to live on!”

  Kraven leapt back and stuttered before falling silent, unable to find a retort to the king’s explanation. Kraven didn’t know what tilted him more, the king’s words, or the fact that he hardly seemed to care that he just tried to kill him.

  “The history lesson is over, elf,” spoke the king. “I, King Stygullous IV, grant you permission to live in my castle under the servitude of my daughter, the future Queen of Arkanus. Your inner strength has been revealed to me; you're worthy to be kept as a slave.”

  Kraven caught his breath and felt the dagger he had snatched taken back by Sevi. "You’re dismissed, elf, and should you try to kill me or hurt my daughter again, I will personally execute you," stated King Stygullous.

  Sevi bowed and grabbed Kraven by the arm, dragging him toward the exit. Kraven ripped his arm away from Sevi and shouted at the king, "I am not a slave! You're a cruel king, perverted by power!" Stygullous simply scoffed at the outburst.

  “Be gone,” said Stygullous, his tone bored.

  As they left, they could hear King Stygullous berating his guards in the room for gorging themselves instead of stopping Kraven from trying to kill him.

  Sevi delivered another swift slap to the back of Kraven's head. "That was quite a show you put on, kid. I thought he was going to kill you right then and there."

  Kraven stayed silent but wondered to himself, Why didn’t he? As if Sevi could read his mind, he continued talking as they approached Lady Kreia.

  "He must’ve seen great power to spare you like that." Kreia looked bewildered upon hearing Sevi's statement.

  "Why would Father try to kill him…what did he do?"

  As the three continued walking to the slave quarters, Sevi, looking amused, said, "The poor fool tried to stab the king with my dagger.”

  Kreia stopped and glanced at Kraven, clearly impressed.

  "He managed to grab your dagger, Sevi?"

  Kraven interrupted before Sevi could answer. "I have family and friends in the village, you know...they will come looking for me."

  "Well, hopefully not tonight, but I’m no monster; you’ll be going there with me before your training starts," replied Kreia.

  "Training?" questioned Kraven.

  Sevi opened the door to the slaves’ quarters, motioning for Kraven to enter. "Get some rest; it’s late, we'll explain more tomorrow." Kraven walked in to see the other two elves fast asleep. The door shut behind him, and, with the small amount of candlelight by his bed providing him a little comfort, he slipped under the sheets and did his best to sleep. Why him? Why was all of this happening to him so suddenly?

  “Why is it happening to us?”

  Kraven shot up in his bed and looked around. That voice, so familiar, he thought. A loud snore could be heard from the old elf’s bed, giving comfort to Kraven that nothing was likely amiss. He laid his head back down and closed his eyes, hoping for a peaceful night's rest.