Following Oreon's advice, the three ventured deep into the forest, heading east. With the moonlight almost entirely obscured by the dense canopy, Oreon had to navigate by the few silver beams that pierced the leaves. He could still hear the search party shouting behind him, though their voices were fading.
As the sounds of pursuit die away, the night sounds of the forest take over. Owls hooting, leaves rustling, and the distant howl of an animal.
Celestia, though weary, walked with regal dignity beside Oreon. Her footsteps were barely audible on the forest floor. From time to time, she would look back towards the manor with a tense expression.
"They've released tracking hounds." She murmured, her keen Elven hearing picking up sounds Oreon couldn't. "We should find water if possible. A stream that would mask our scent."
"Tracking hounds?" Oreon's eyebrow rose slightly as he turned to look over at Celestia. "You can hear them from down here?" Oreon became somewhat curious.
Celestia glanced briefly in Oreon's direction. "We elves have a better sense of hearing than humans. Hearing from this distance is child's play." She turned to where they were going. "Let's pick up the pace. The order is relentless during the hunt. Their pursuit will only end once they've caught their prey." Celestia concluded.
Walking beside Oreon, Sylvanie keeps pace with him and her sister. Her stolen sword was ready at her side. In contrast to her sister's elegant movements. She stalked through the forest like a predator, eyes constantly scanning for threats.
"This town you speak of," she said skeptically," will they welcome two elves? Or should we expect more humans eager to clap us back in chains?"
"You don't have anything to worry about," Oreon responded as he continued to guide the way. "It's a small town that is full of people who stand against the order, so you don't have to worry about the Order knowing about you being there," Oreon assured.
A slight huff came out of the mouth of the Dark Elf. "How naïve." She started, causing Oreon to turn his attention to her.
"Really?" Oreon answers. "I don't think I am." Oreon turned his attention to the front of him once again. "Not everyone supports the Order and its beliefs; in fact, the town ahead is home to many who have been harmed by them. "Oreon spoke, this time earning a slight glance from Celestia.
"I share the same sentiments as my sister," Celestia speaks softly, ducking beneath a low-hanging branch. "Forgive my doubts, but most human settlements aren't exactly welcoming to our kind. Especially now that the Holy Order is likely to brand us as fugitives."
"I say the moment they see our ears, they'll either run screaming or try to claim the bounty on our heads." Sylvanie scoffs. "Besides, you forget who you walk with, human." Sylvanie points out. "My sister is the former queen of Zul'Onathar, and I'm the dark elf princess, second in line, should my sister fall. This isn't exactly inconspicuous."
"Well, I don't see us having a choice in the matter," Oreon responded, slightly annoyed. "By the looks of it, the shackles the order had you in drained most of your magic, so you can't fight at full strength." Oreon slightly glanced back at the Dark Elf. "Not to mention we have three paladins and a pack of tracking hounds on our tail, and it's not like me fighting them alone is going to do any good, so the best chance we have is hiding somewhere we can at least catch a break." He ended as Celestia gave him a slightly interested look, but it quickly vanished behind her calm, regal facial expression.
"I see, still risking your life as you walk with two elves of royalty, are you? Dear sister, maybe we can relax a bit. Not all humans appear to be like those bloodthirsty vermin." Celestia slightly taunted.
"No." Sylvaine retorted, giving Oreon a pointed look. "Some are just mysterious rescuers with secrets about magical shards who throw people out of windows."
"I didn't throw you out of a window!" Oreon yells at her defensively, "You jumped out of the same window I did!" He exclaimed.
Again, Sylvanie scoffed, her sword slashing at a low-hanging branch. "After you crashed through it like a drunken ogre! What kind of escape plan involves hurling yourself off a cliff?" She responds. "But fine, excuse my technical error." Her voice was sarcastic." You just led us to a window and gave us the wonderful choice between certain death by paladins or death by falling!"
"Well, excuse me for not laying it out for you!" Oreon shouted back, somehow pulled into a war of words with Sylvaine. "I'm sorry if our options were so limited, but hey if you didn't enjoy trying to fly away from the holy assholes that were trying to kill us, then you could have stayed!" He lightly growled in annoyance.
"I'm just saying!" Sylvanie slashes another branch out of frustration. "Some warning would have been nice. "Oh, by the way, we're about to plummet to our potential deaths." Would that have been so difficult?" She ended as unbeknownst to the two. Celestia suppresses a small smile at the exchange, her eyes scanning the darkness ahead.
"To be fair, sister, it did work." She points out diplomatically. "And I don't recall you offering any alternatives."
"That's because I was busy trying not to get skewered by holy warriors," Sylvanie grumbles, kicking aside a fallen log. "Besides, I'm not the one who supposedly had a plan."
"I never said I had a plan!" Oreon pressed as Sylvanie closed her eyes with a huff as she crossed her arms.
Celestia slightly glanced over at her sister. "He saved us from captivity." Celestia gently pointed out. "And the fall would have been much worse without my magic."
"Which is nearly depleted thanks to those binding chains they kept us under," Sylvaine mutters, kicking another fallen branch. "Don't pretend you're not exhausted, Celestia."
The forest grows quieter as the trio presses deeper into its heart; the trees become ancient and gnarled. Moonlight barely penetrates, casting everything in deep shadows. A soft gurgling sound reaches their ears, the sound of water flowing nearby.
"I hear water," Celestia says softly. "Not far ahead. A stream, I think."
The forest surrounding the trio has become overgrown, with ancient trees and dense undergrowth making the path difficult to navigate. Between the trees, strange, luminous fungi cast an eerie blue glow, their light punctuated by the distant calls of animals throughout the night.
"You still haven't answered my question about this town." Sylvaine persists, eying Oreon suspiciously. "Are we walking into another trap, or do these people actually tolerate our kind?" She questioned once again.
"Not every human is as volatile as you may think," Oreon responded. The three stepped into a clearing, the thinner trees allowing the bright moonlight to reveal a large, lovely stream flowing down below. The stream gurgles softly, the silver moonlight dancing across its surface. The water runs clear and swift, perfect for both drinking and masking their trail. The small clearing beside it offers a moment's respite from the dense forest.
"Perhaps not their first thought," Sylvaine said skeptically, kneeling by the water to splash some on her face. "But what about their second or third? Gold has a way of changing human priorities."
Celestia moves to the water's edge, cupping her hands to drink before looking at Oreon with those penetrating sapphire eyes.
"My sister's Cynicism isn't unfounded." She spoke softly. "Our people have suffered greatly at human hands." She takes a deep breath." Trust doesn't come easily anymore." Oreon leans against a nearby tree as Celesta glances around the clearing, her expression softening slightly as she takes in the peaceful scene. "But I sense no immediate danger here. We should rest, if only briefly. The Holy Order won't give up their pursuit so easily." She ended as she sat down gracefully on a nearby stump.
"That may be so. I'm sorry. I'm not asking you to trust them; I'm just saying that they have their own problems." Oreon gazed at the gently flowing stream.
"I pray you're right." She breathed.
"Forgive me if I don't share my sister's optimism," Sylvanie said dryly. "The last time we trusted humans, I watched my kingdom burn and my people slaughtered." Cupping her hands as she drank from the stream.
Pausing briefly, Celestia closed her eyes, letting Sylvanie's words sink in before replying. "Let me put it this way," she said smoothly, rephrasing her sister's words. "We've had little reason to trust humans since the invasion. You are…an unexpected exception…At least for now."
Oreon raises an eyebrow at Celestia's last few words. "You still see me as a threat?" He stood with folded arms, leaning against the tree as he questioned her.
Celestia shook her head in response. "No, not a threat, but an anomaly." She returned. "You've risked everything to free us. Not knowing who we are, nor what we were captured for. Not only that, but you also continue to risk yourself to help us escape. Why? What could two Elven slaves possibly mean to you?" Her head tilted slightly, a silent question hanging in the air as she waited for an answer.
"And what is this shard they kept yammering on about?" Sylvaine spoke, wiping the water from her chin." Seems important enough for the Holy order to want you dead over it." She finished as she stood up on her feet, her crimson eyes locked on him.
Oreon let out a long, weary sigh, the sound barely audible above the gentle breeze. His eyes released their gaze from the stream as he looked up at the night-filled sky. Thinking to himself for a moment, he reaches into his pocket to pull out a shiny red shard.
"This is a dragon shard." Oreon started to explain. "A piece of a shattered orb that was created from the dragonborn. When the holy order first assembled. They sought the dragonborn's greatest weapon. An orb full of chaos energy strong enough to Turn Off the Stars in the night sky," Oreon examined the shard, turning it slowly in his fingers, his eyes tracing the sharp edges.
The crimson shard catches the moonlight, casting blood-red reflections across the trio's faces. It pulses with an inner light, almost like a heartbeat, seeming to respond to Oreon's touch.
Celestia's eyes widen in recognition, her breath catching in her throat. "The Draconis Orb," she whispered, her voice filled with awe and trepidation. "I thought it was just a legend…A mere tale told to frighten children."
Sylvanie moves closer, her earlier hostility momentarily forgotten as she stares at the shard with fascination. "The weapon that ended the first age." She murmured. "Our ancient texts spoke of it- how it tore the veil between worlds before it shattered."
Celestia reaches out hesitantly, her fingers hovering near the shard but not touching it. "The stories tell of the Dragonborn creating a weapon to rival the gods. Harnessing power beyond mortal comprehension. Power to shape realms and erase anything in a blanket of destruction." She continued. "The dragonborn were wiped out centuries ago. "She murmurs." The Holy Order's first genocide before they turned their attention to the elves and other magical beings. If they reassemble this orb…."
"They could finish what they started." Sylvanie finishes grimly. "Purge the world of everything they deem unholy. Which is pretty much anyone who isn't them. Who isn't human," She turns her attention towards Oreon, her eyes narrowing with suspicion again. "So that's lead to the question, why do you have it? And more importantly." Sylvanie added, her hand instinctively moving to the sword hilt. "Why show it to us? We could kill you and take it ourselves." Her crimson eyes gleamed as Oreon quickly locked eyes with her, a tense situation as they both looked at each other.
"Sylvanie!" Celestia admonishes sharply.
"What?" I said we could, now that we would." Sylvanie retorts with a shrug. "I'm merely pointing out the tactical error in revealing such a valuable item to former strangers." With a sigh, she released the sword hilt, crossing her arms like a scolded child, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
Celestia turns her gaze to Oreon. "But how did you come to possess it?" Celestia asked, her gaze remaining on Oreon. "And why do you risk yourself for us when you carry something of such importance?" The question hung heavy in the air, thick with unspoken tension, as Oreon stared at the two elves before answering.
"If you must know," Oreon began. "I didn't know you guys were there to begin with. My initial reason was to steal the shard from the Holy Order, who controls this district." Oreon continued. "I didn't know my father had captured two elv..." Before Oreon could finish his explanation, Sylvanie's lightning-fast reflexes sent her hand shooting out, her fingers clamping around his throat. He was slammed against the rough bark of the tree, the impact jarring his breath. His eyes widened in terror, his throat constricting under her relentless hold, each gasp a desperate fight for breath.
Sylvaine's crimson eyes blazed with fury, her fingers tightening around Oreon's throat; the veins in her slender neck bulged with unexpected strength, and a guttural snarl escaped her lips. The tip of her sword pressed against his ribs, the cold steel a stark contrast to the warmth of his skin, pressing just enough to be felt through his clothing.
"Your FATHER!" A snarl ripped through the air; her teeth bared. "Your father is the one who kept us in chains? He eviscerated our land!" Sylvanie's sharp cry cut through the air as Celestia rushed forward, her hand clamping down on her sister's arm to stop her.
"Sylvanie! Release him at once!" Her voice, usually warm and inviting, now held a note of command, sharper than usual.
"He freed us, the sins his father committed…." Celestia was cut off.
"He's one of them!" Sylvanie hissed her grip tighten as she glared at her sister. "A wolf in sheep's clothing. He didn't rescue us. This is probably just some sick game between him and the Order!"
"Wait…Ah…A…Minute." Oreon gasped for breath, his face contorted under Sylvanie's firm grip. "Just give me a time to explain." He tried to speak.
The forest became eerily silent, the air thick with anticipation, as if the very trees were holding their breath, their leaves unmoving. The shard pulsed intensely in Oreon's hand, its crimson light casting Sylvaine's enraged features in an almost demonic glow, the heat radiating off it like a furnace.
"Give me one reason." She growled, "Why I shouldn't slit your throat right now?"
Oreon struggled. His feet dangled slightly above the ground. His eyes remained wide as he struggled to breathe. "I…I'm sorry…" He tried to mouth. "I…I didn't know what…my father…was doing." Oreon gasps. "All I knew was that he had the shard. I didn't…know that Alaric…"
Unbeknownst to Oreon, the name would trigger a visceral reaction in Sylvanie, a flood of painful memories. The primary cause of her suffering. The man, whose name alone was enough to send shivers down her spine, was the reason for the elves' capture; the mention of his name caused her to snap. Before Oreon could react, a searing pain ripped through his stomach as Sylvanie's stolen sword pierced him, the cold steel a stark contrast to the warmth of his blood as it spurted forth; he felt her grip on his throat loosen as he crumpled to his knees, his vision blurring. His expression was one of pure terror as his wide, fearful eyes locked with Sylvanie's cold, hard stare; her lips curved into a cruel smile. He slowly looked down at his wound, a searing pain shooting through him, clutching it with his hands as he slowly fell to his side, his breath hitching in ragged gasps.
"SYLVANIE! NO!" Celestia screams, but too late.
Blood spread across Oreon's fallen form as Sylvanie stood over him, her chest heaving with rage, her sword dripping crimson blood from the tip.
"Son of Alaric…" she spat, the name like poison on her tongue. "Spawn of the Purifier of Zul'Onathar.
Celestia rushes to Oreon's side, her face a mask of horror, her hands trembling as she frantically presses against the gushing wound, crimson staining her fingers.
"What have you done?" She yelled as she turned to her sister. "He saved us!"
"He is the son of that man who murdered our parents!" Sylvanie shoots back, trembling with emotion. "The commander who ordered the execution of the Elven children at Silverbrook!" she seethed.
Golden light begins to emanate from Celestia's palms as she attempts to heal Oreon. Her face was strained with concentration. "The sins of the father do not fall on the child, Sylvanie!" As she concentrated on healing, her sapphire eyes glowed softly, reflecting the inner light of her concentration.
"I should have known," Sylvanie whispers, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword, trembling. "The resemblance…Those eyes…"
"Help me save him," Celestia pleaded, blood staining her hands as she worked.
"Damn it Celestia!" Sylvanie growled. "He's the Purifier's spawn! Why are you trying to save him? "Her rage growing.
"Because he freed us when we didn't think we would ever see the night sky again." Celestia breathed as she continued to concentrate on healing Oreon's wound. "We sat in that damn dungeon for months with no hope of getting out, we were used and tossed away repeatedly and then the one person, the ONE person who comes and looks our way and frees us and you repay that kindness with vengeance!" She turned a stern glare towards her sister, who took a step back at Celestia's outburst.
Sylvanie slowly took her eyes off her sister, and they fell upon Oreon's pained, stricken face as his eyes clutched shut, trying his best to fight through the pain.
"I can stabilize him, but my magic is depleted. "She says calmly, but urgency is noticeable in her voice. "We need to find shelter, herbs…"
"Let him bleed." Sylvanie spits, though uncertainty flickers in her eyes. "He's probably leading us into a trap, anyway." She slightly turned her head.
"We need him alive!" Celestia shoots back." Not just because it's right, but because he knows these lands. Without him, making it out of this forest would be the least of our worries." Celestia turned her head to her sister, her eyes pleading. "Please, Sylvanie, help me. We need to save him."
"Or we could just leave him," Sylvanie suggested, slightly crossing her arms, her crimson eyes still staring at the fallen male. "Take the shard and go our own way."
The words echoed throughout Celestia's mind as her eyes slowly sank as she continued to concentrate on healing Oreon. "Sylvanie, is that who we are now?" Sylvanie's eyes shot up for a split second, but slowly calmed down as she watched her sister continue to exert herself into saving Oreon. "You speak about our parents' murderers, but not our parents' teachings." She continued. "Is that what our parents would have wanted? To repay kindness with the murder of an innocent."
"Don't you dare…" Sylvanie gritted her teeth. "Don't you dare talk to me like I don't know what our parents taught us! How they raised us!" She pointed towards the fallen Oreon. "His father, Celestia! His father killed ours! In front of us! We cried and we begged! What mercy was shown to us!" Tears pricked her eyes, but with fierce resolve, the dark elf scrubbed them away before they could fall.
"Don't argue with me, Sylvanie!" Celestia exclaimed, pressing her hands against Oreon's wound as he slowly began to calm down, the healing slowly working to restore him. Golden light continues to emanate from her palms, the bleeding slowly stopping as his breathing began to regulate. "The cycle of violence has to end somewhere, or at least, not involve those who don't deserve it."
Sylvanie's body shook at her older sister's outburst. She wanted to reply but bit her lip, not knowing how to respond.
As Celestia pressed on, determined to close his wound, she looked down at him with concern. "Stay with me, focus on my voice. I won't let you die for my sister's grudges."
Oreon stared at Celestia, his breath catching in his throat, his body convulsing from the lingering effects of the attack; a metallic tang filled the air. "Am…I…. Going…. To…Die." Oreon breathed as Celestia coaxed him through as she continued to heal him.
"No, you're going to be fine; just stay with me…Stay with me…. Just stay with me…." The world swam before Oreon's eyes, Celestia's voice, a distant whisper as darkness threatened to consume his vision.
"No, don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes…. Don't…" The voice, an indistinct murmur, barely reached Oreon's ears as his eyes fluttered closed, his body still and unresponsive.
-Dream-
"Are you just going to sleep all day?" As Oreon opened his eyes, a bright, friendly female voice chirped happily, a sound as cheerful as a songbird's. Blinking, he saw her face, elegant, framed by dark hair and highlighted by the morning light. "Wha…"
The girl's lips curved into a small smile as a delicate giggle escaped. "Come on, sleepyhead, get up. Mom's already getting breakfast ready." With a twinkle in her bright brown eyes, the woman spoke, her eyes glistening with life.
"What the… Ali….Alice." Oreon blinked with confusion. "But…But…How?" Hesitantly, he reached out, but quickly recoiled as if burned, his eyes wide with a strange fear of the woman.
Standing taller than Oreon, she tilted her head, her black hair catching the sunlight. The familiar weight of her holy garments settled on her shoulders as she offered another smile, a faint scent of incense clinging to the cloth. "What's wrong, silly? You act like you've seen a ghost or something." She giggled again. "Come on, we have to go." She said as she turned her back towards him.
"Alice…Alice…" Oreon's desperate plea echoed in the silence, a raw sound filled with unspoken grief, as the rhythmic tap of Alice's retreating footsteps slowly disappeared. "Wait…Don't go….Alice!" Suddenly, the idyllic scene dissolved into chaos; Alice's broken body lay amidst the flames, the once-beautiful scenery now a charred and horrific landscape, the smell of burning flesh heavy in the air.
"No…No…." Oreon's voice cracked…."Alice…Don't go…Alice…." His voice broke. "ALICE!"
The scene shifts, and a searing, agonizing scream rips from Oreon's mouth as the *crack* of a whip echoes through the air. "You useless boy!" The sound of the whip cracking echoed, and a rough masculine voice added to the harshness of the scene. Oreon screamed, the raw agony of the whip tearing into his flesh. The sounds of the whip cracking, the sting of each blow, and the smell of sweat and fear filled the air with each strike faster than the last; a relentless assault. Trying his best to avoid the attack, his body twisted and turned, but it felt like the threat was coming from every direction. "Useless! Useless! Useless!" the masculine voice screamed as the final whip strike was brought down, but the scene changes again.
Oreon blinked in confusion, his eyes darting to the woman whose holy garments, now torn and stained with battle, were a stark contrast to her usual appearance. Her long brown hair was messy, and her golden eyes narrowed as she stood in front of Oreon. "How dare you!" She screamed as she held on to her sword, facing a dark, muscled, shadow-like figure in front of her. "HOW DARE YOU!"
"Mom…" Oreon spoke, immediately taken aback by her appearance. "Mom…No…Don't go…." He reached out towards her before he began running, trying to catch up to her. "Mom, No!" He reached out.
"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY SON!" She charged forward, her sword drawn and ready to attack.
"NOOOOO!" Oreon screamed.
-Dream ended-
Oreon's eyes flew open; the muted glow of the moon, filtering through the dense canopy above, illuminated the forest in shades of gray and silver. Oreon stirred and became aware that he was lying on a bed of moss next to the stream, his torso covered in makeshift bandages made from torn fabric. The searing agony in his abdomen from the stabbing had dulled to a persistent ache.
Celestia sits beside him, the faint warmth of her healing magic still radiating from her hands, her face pale and drawn with exhaustion. "You're alive." She said softly, relief evident in her voice. "I wasn't certain you would make it."
A few feet away, Sylvaine sits with her back against a tree, arms crossed, watching you with a complex mixture of emotions. Suspicion still lingered on her face, but perhaps with a slight hint of guilt.
"The Son of Alaric lives." She remarks coldly. "How fortunate."
"Sylvanie," Celestia warns. Her tone is weary but firm.
The dark elf averted her gaze, her jaw set in a grim line, the silence heavy with unspoken words. The dragon shard, pulsing with a faint crimson light barely visible in the moonlight, rests between Oreon and Celestia.
Oreon groaned softly as he slowly sat up, observing his surroundings.
"Easy now." Celestia murmurs, her hand gently pressing Oreon's back as he tries to rise. "The wound was deep. I've stopped the bleeding and repaired what damage I could, but thanks to the Holy Order's bindings, I'm nowhere near where I once was."
Sylvaine continued to sit with her back against the tree, watching the scene with an unreadable expression. Her sword lies across her lap, cleaned of the blood from the earlier attack.
"Three hours," she states flatly. "That's how long my sister has been keeping you alive. Three hours she could have spent resting or putting distance between us and order."
Celestia gives her sister a weary look. "It was the right thing to do, Sylvanie. Besides, I wouldn't have had to exhaust what strength I had left had it not been for your actions," She chided.
"You should have let him die." She muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.
"Sylvanie." Celestia admonishes gently.'
"What?" Sylvanie finally turns, her crimson eyes still burning with barely contained rage. "You heard him. He's Alaric's Son. The Son of the man who destroyed everything we loved. Took our home from us. He should be dead as payment for that."
Celestia places a cool hand on Oreon's forehead, checking for any signs of a fever.
"How do you feel?' She asks, ignoring her sister's outburst. "I know it's not much, but I do apologize for my sister's rashness." Celestia apologized, earning a withering glare from Sylvanie while Oreon slowly rose, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
"Don't worry about it…" Oreon responded from a sitting position. "It wouldn't be the first time someone wanted my head because of my father's dealings." Glancing at Sylvanie sitting by the tree, Oreon stated, "Though killing me wouldn't have brought him tears of any kind. If anything, he would probably have laughed and finished it off with a good riddance." Oreon sighs. "Besides, you're not the first person to lash out at me because they found out I'm the son of my father."
Oreon's gaze dropped to the makeshift moss bed beneath him. "I'm used to it…." His voice was low at his last statement.
Celestia's expression softens with compassion as she studies his face, her gaze filled with warmth and understanding. "Drink." She urged gently as she reached for a waterskin fashioned from leaves and offered it to him, which he graciously accepted. "You speak of your father's cruelty as if you've experienced it firsthand." She observes quietly. "The scars I found while healing you…They weren't all recent."
Sylvanie shifted against the rough bark of the tree, the crimson in her eyes now tinged with reluctant curiosity, despite her continued wariness. "So, you admit it," she said coldly. "You are his blood."
"Afraid so. Can't say that I asked for it though." Oreon replied as he leaned back a bit.
"Blood doesn't determine who we are," Celestia interjects, her voice gentle but firm. "Actions do."
"Save your philosophical musings, sister," Sylvanie mutters, finally sheathing the sword that she stole. "They don't change what Alaric did to our people. To our parents." With a mixture of hatred and curiosity in her eyes, she slowly approached Oreon, stopping a few paces away to study him, her every step measured and deliberate.
"Why would the Purifier's son steal from him? Turn against him?" She demanded. "What game are you playing? And why do you carry scars on your back that match those of slaves?" Sylvanie added perceptively, her crimson eyes narrowing like a hawk's, her gaze intense and unwavering.
"Sylvanie," Celestia chided gently.
"No, it's a fair question," Sylvaine insisted. "If you're truly Alaric's enemy, then prove it. Tell us why you stole the shard. Tell us why you freed two elves who should mean nothing to you."
A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the quiet rustle of leaves, causing Celestia's eyes to dart between Oreon and her sister before finally settling back on Oreon. "And perhaps," Celestia added, the words a soothing balm against her sister's harshness. "You might tell us your name. It seems we've bypassed that formality, and…Maybe we can use this time to understand each other, I fear…" She paused for a moment. "We cannot move forward without trust between us, so please, share your story and in return, we'll tell you ours." Finishing her sentence, she and her sister watched as Oreon lifted his head with a weary sigh, the sound heavy with unspoken emotion.
"I guess I should start from the beginning, then." He answered, his brown eyes a narrowed slit, studying the two elves as they waited patiently, the only sound the rustling of leaves in the breeze.