Elementalists

Chapter 1

The Beginning

A beautiful, young elven maiden sat beside her 7 month old daughter. Her long, silky, blonde hair shimmered in the fire light. Her sincere blue eyes glazed as she stared at the dancing flames. The maiden closed her eyes and sighed, hearing her husband's shouts coming from the opposite room. Things had been rather disruptive the past few weeks.

It had all began when foreign armies had been spotted a few miles away from the Merestanian wood, her husband had been working around the clock, trying desperately to gather some reinforcement that will help defend the city.

"How can our scouts not have seen the army pass right through our borders!? This is absolutely outrageous Orodreth! You as commander of the scouts have done very poorly commanding your troops!" The maiden tensed at the cold and ruthless words her husband was throwing at the poor elf. Her husband was a kind and good hearted elf; he loved his land and all its inhabitants, working day and night trying to improve their lives. Its just the advancing army has caused him a great deal of worry and stress. She heard a mumbled apology coming from the unlucky elf that was in the room with her husband.

"Sorry. Sorry!? Sorry wont do us any good when our people are dead and our city in ruins!" The maiden took a sharp intake of breath, the cold night air burning the inside of her throat. 'N..no… it cant be that serious.. I am sure he is just…overreacting-' her train of thought lost as she heard the door of the throne room slam closed with a bang. Soon after her bedroom door creaked open and her husband stepped into the room, his short chestnut hair falling messily around his face, his eyes were bloodshot and his face pale. He walked over to the armchair by the fire and let himself drop onto the comfortable red cushion. He shut his eyes and leaned his head back, fatigue clearly visible on his face.

The maiden silently got of the lavishly decorated, pale silver bed and made her way behind her husband, she extended her slender arms and wrapped them around the crook of her husband's neck.

"Golardir dear you really shouldn’t out do yourself like this."

"Elwing if I don’t do it no one will."

She had no reply, she knew it was true. It is his duty as king to protect his people and make sure the generals kept all the soldiers, weapons and defenses in perfect condition. Deciding to at least try and help her husband relax Elwing unwrapped her arms from his neck and placed her elegant, feminine hands on his shoulders, feeling the toned, tense muscles beneath her finger tips. She slowly began to rub and massage his shoulders, Golardir sighed in satisfaction as he relaxed into his wife's soothing touch. Golardir put his larger, soft hand on his wife's left hand. He turned around so he was facing her, his hand still holding hers. The light from the fireplace glazed her blue eyes making them look like the surface of the ocean glistening in the setting sun.

"You are beautiful my love." He whispered huskily, Elwing felt the heat creep up her neck at the words and the enchanting, loving look her husband was giving her. His exotic, dark green eyes entrancing her, reminding her of an emerald shimmering on a cool summer night. Golardir brushed his fingers across her cheek, their eyes gazed into each other, sending the silent message of love, passion and care. Subconsciously they moved closer together his defined, masculine face tilted slightly, and hers did the same. They were now so close they could feel the other's warm breath, just as their lips were about to meet, a wail shattered the atmosphere, bringing the two lovers out of their trance. A scowl was plastered on Golardir face, Elwing laughed a sweet, merry laugh at the look on her husband's face. She moved away from him and moved towards the cradle, she picked the beautiful, baby in her arms and began rocking her arm's softly.

"Shh Alatáriël shh" Elwing whispered. Alatáriël the only heir to the Merestanian kingdom, crooned peacefully in her mother's arms, completely unaware of the danger that lurked.

Horrifying shrieks were heard through out the small village as an army of masked beings destroyed and killed everything in their paths. Houses were set on fire revealing a hideous scene. The once lively, peaceful village had been transformed into a graveyard. The bodies of dozens of elves were littered everywhere, flooding the ground with a thick layer of blood.

A dark, hooded figure walked through the chaos. His staff hitting the ground with an echoing 'clunk' after each step. The figure stopped every once in a while, to lick the blood off his thin, pale index finger after it had been dipped in a murdered infants blood.

Continuing his selective path through the decimated village, he paused sensing one of his lesser lieutenants coming his way. The lieutenant bowed.

"Have you found it?" the cloaked figure demanded. The lieutenant shifted uncomfortably.

"No master." He replied respectfully, the fear evident in his voice.

"Has the army eaten?"

"Yes… we have also captured children-"

"Excellent…keep half of them for the army, we will need our battalions at full strength… as for the rest…" a sinister smile appeared on his thin, cracked lips "bring their hearts to me, than nail their corpses to the town hall."

"Yes master" the lieutenant replied before heading the opposite direction. The cloaked figure licked his lips hungrily in anticipation of his next meal. He continued his path through the village, searching, searching for 'it'.

He stopped, hearing a muffled cry. He turned his head slowly, listening for other sounds. His gaze lingered in the direction he heard the cry before he changed his path and headed inside the nearby hut. The hut looked awful. Blood stained the walls, tables and chairs were either toppled over or destroyed and there... behind the table was a woman, crying over her child's dead body. An evil, smile appeared on the figures face before he made his way towards the woman. In less than a few a seconds a terrifying scream echoed through the village signaling the death of the last elf in the village, the end of the massacre.

A scream echoed through the royal dormitories, the queen woke up with a start.

"Who screamed!?"

"It was Alatáriël sweetheart. No need to panic." Golardir replied groggily. The silvery silk sheets slid down his bare chest when he got off the bed and headed towards Alatáriël's crib. He picked Alatáriël in his arms and rocked her gently.

"Are you sure Golardir? I swear I heard another scream, a young woman's scream."

"It must have been your imagination, go back to sleep Elwing, I'll put Alatáriël to sleep." Golardir assured.

"You're probably right. Goodnight." Elwing lay back down and closed her, not noticing the paleness of her husband face.

Once Alatáriël was asleep Golardir put her back in her crib, making sure that she was properly tucked in. His eyes softened when his daughter whispered 'dada' in her sleep. He placed a loving kiss on her forehead before putting on his coat and heading out of the room. Golardir turned many corners when he finally got to his destination. There in front of him stood a large, beautifully designed wall. The wall was covered in beautiful patterns. Each individual pattern colored with the colors of the elves; ocean blue, silver, pale green and gold. The patterns intersected one another to form a lozenge shape in the middle of the wall. Golardir placed his right hand in the center of the wall and recited a chant in the ancient language.

The patterns each began to glow. They began to twist and coil, revealing the entrance of hidden passage. Golardir stepped into the passage. The entrance began closing as torches lit, illuminating the long hallway. Golardir started down the passage. After a few minutes Golardir reached a large, oak door. Engraved on the oak door, was ancient writing that Golardir could not read.

Golardir pushed the door open. He stepped into a magically lit room, azure light shone dimly from the corners of the room giving it an aquatic feel. Mysterious and ancient patterns were carved on the walls, and there in the center of room sat a beautiful, sapphire gem.

Golardir walked up to the gem, basking in its beauty. He closed his eyes, in thought of a way to keep this mystical gem out of wrong hands. Though this beautiful gem may seem small and simple, it has amazing powers that if unleashed could be devastating…

The next day Elwing woke up feeling rather uneasy. She sat up and looked around the room, Golardir seemed to have already woken up and Alatáriël was still sound asleep in her cradle. Elwing got off the bed and dressed herself in a simple, leaf green dress.

Once she was done dressing she walked towards the door and as usual, Fëawen Anwamanë, Alatáriël's caretaker was standing patiently outside the door, waiting for her rounds to begin.

"Good morning your majesty." Fëawen greeted as she bowed, showing respect for her queen.

"Good morning Fëawen." Elwing acknowledged her with a smile before walking down the halls, towards the stables.

It was a habit for Elwing to go riding these days, her husband has been busy and there was no need to wake up Alatáriël, so to pass time she rode in the morning after the had woken up and then returns to bathe, change and than meet her husband for breakfast.

She greeted the stable boy and mounted her chocolate brown mare, stroking the side of her neck in greeting, she held the reins and nudged the side of the horse. The horse started off with a trot and then broke into a full sprint; Elwing absolutely loved the sensation of strong winds blowing through her hair. She rode into the woods, past the silent lake. She was heading towards a hidden area near a small peaceful village when her mare stopped abruptly and began shaking her head and trying to go the other way.

Elwing closed her eyes and tuned her senses to check her surroundings. The winds were weak and slow, carrying the tinge of an unfamiliar scent. She mounted off her mare and looked towards the small village. She gasped, seeing smoke rising from the village. Elwing got back on her mare and urged her to move towards the village. After barely a minute she arrived at the village. Elwing's heart lurched and tightened at what she saw, dead elves, everywhere. Children, maidens and warriors, they were all dead, none survived. Elwing walked further into the village dreading every step, but willing herself to move. She stopped dead in her tracks; there in front of her was the town hall. Nailed to the walls were children, blood stained the white wall. Their clothes were torn, cuts and slashes were visible on their pale, bruised skin.

Elwing fell to her knees, consumed by grief and shock. Tears spilled down her cheeks, she cried, for the lost lives, for the pain the innocent had gone through. Elwing was deep in thought, she wondered about the other villages and the danger that surrounds them.

Elwing composed herself and got up on her feet, 'I must tell Golardir' she thought as she mounted her mare, she rode as fast as her mare would go. The sooner she warned her husband of this disgusting crime, hopefully, the more lives will be spared.

In what seemed to be hours Elwing arrived at the castle, she jumped off her horse and ran through the halls and headed for the throne room. She burst into the room panting, all eyes were on her but looking proper wasn’t her main priority at the moment, telling her husband what she had seen the Karithias was.

"Golardir, the, village, by, the, Silent lake, was attacked, destroyed. Everyone's dead." Elwing said in-between pants. Gasps and murmurs irrupted from the chamber; chaos stricken elves were panicking and whispering to each other.

"Silence!" Golardir yelled, the throne room instantly went silent.

" Galdor, take a few men and go search the village for indication of who attacked them, then report back to me. Orodreth search the woods around the village. Elerossë, Elwing come with me. The rest of you are dismissed." Soon as the words had left Golardir's mouth the room began to clear, leaving only the king, his queen and Merestania’s grandmage in the room.

Golardir sighed, “The situation has become dire, not once in the history of Merestania have we had an incident such as this one. We must take all precautions to insure the safety of this world… Elerosse you know what must be done, take the jewel up to the north and make sure it remains safe with the northern kingdom, warn them of the coming danger and please, ask for reinforcement.”

“Yes my lord.” Elerosse bowed before rushing out the door, his blue cloak swishing behind him.

“Elwing, I need you and Alatariel to go with Elerosse it has become too dangerous for the two of you.” He said sincerely, he placed his hand gently on her cheek trying to convince her.

“Golardir, what a foolish idea! You know that I would never leave your side, you are my husband, my love and nothing, whether petty or serious, shall separate us.” Elwing’s voice was firm and confident, Golardir, knew this was the respond he would get, yet he could not bare the idea of his wife and daughter’s death or capture. He could not live with himself, if they were to fall in the hands of this unknown, seemingly barbaric army.

“Elwing, don’t be so naïve, what about Alatariel? Our daughter can not fend for herself, and what about the royal dynasty of Merestania?” Golardir spoke with more force this time, as though trying to command her or force her into believing him.

“Golardir, in respect to you as king, I shall bite back the comment at the tip of my tongue.” With that said, Elwing marched out the door, with her chin held up high, making sure Golardir knows she is not happy with him.