Not everything is Dark and Light

Beginning (part 2)

That changed quickly when the elf took the hood down from her face and revealed the stunning grace beneath it. Vuren was stunned by it to the point where he audibly swallowed in shock as he tried to rationalise why a woman as beautiful as she was was sitting across from him. He was a man of principles and he would stick to them but as he studied the curves of her face he desperately wished he was not as if someone was to create his perfect woman it would be the dark elf before him. Her skin was soft and clearly well looked after which contrasted with his broken and fractured skin in a way he found mesmeric. The dark elf tone of deep royal purple was a soft spot for the travelling monster killer and the softer tone of this woman’s skin took his breath away. While most dark elves had a tone similar to a deep red wine the one before him had a much softer tone more akin to violent as it was paralysing Vuren as he became completely captivated by her. Her emerald eyes shine through against the purple backdrop of her skin and Vuren watched the flames dance across them as he swallowed another large gathering of saliva.

The barmaid was his saving grace as she emerged from the corner of his eye to save him from staring too long at her. Vuren turned his head to greet the barmaid as she came if only to ensure he could not see the dark elf. He nodded at the barmaid as she placed his drink and soup on the table in front of him.

“Would either of you like anything else?” She asked the pair.

“No thank you.” The dark elf respectfully declined as Vuren waved her off as he grabbed at his mead and took a hearty gulp from it. Seeing the steam rise up from the broth in front of him distracted him, a little, from the woman in front of him and focus on the hunger he felt. It had been a good few days since he had had a decent serving as he rationed the little food he carried on his travels to ensure he always had enough. It meant his stomach was always growling at him but it was necessary as with only the one horse with him it was impossible to carry grandiose meal. No it was simple and easily transportable meals which was another aspect of the job Vuren did not enjoy but he dealt with.

Vuren dived into his soup with intent as he tried to distract himself from both the elf’s beauty and the impending proposal. He could feel it coming but as he glanced towards her with a healthy spoonful he noticed her scanning the tavern in a manner she thought was inconspicuous but was as attention grabbing as her garment was. Once the barmaid was out of earshot she turned to Vuren and looked him straight in the eye which made him swallow his soup, like had done with his saliva, uncontrollably which made him cough slightly as it teased going down the wrong hole of his throat before correcting itself and going down the right one.

“I’m not asking for you help. I’m demanding it.” She said with a confidence unbefitting the meagre frame she held. She was clearly out of her element but she turned on some latent authority she had which made Vuren gasp momentarily at her emotional strength. He quickly inhaled has morsel of soup as to avoid being seen by the elf as he desperately tried to think of more way to not show his obvious attraction to the woman.

“Look, I want to help. I don’t like pushing people away but I have other tasks I need to do. People come up to me for three reasons. To ask for help, ask where I got my scars or to challenge me in some form of physical activity. I push away each advance as I am needed elsewhere. I will be leaving this tavern come morning and not coming back. I have larger matter to deal with.” Vuren tried to come across as sympathetic as he could tell the dark elf would not so easily leave but he could tell his efforts at sympathy were not met. He did not excel at emotions; physical actions were more Vuren’s style so when he saw the unchanging look on the dark elf’s face he knew he had not conveyed the message he intended to.

“I will not take no for an answer. This is a matter of country.” The elf raised her voice slightly before catching herself and scanning the bar to see if anyone noticed. The three men at the back wall were too busy laughing away with one another and sloshing around another pint to notice and the barmaid was busy cleaning out a stein to care. The only one was the couple having a quiet conversation at the table nearby. The gentleman, a ginger bearded man with a receding hairline, shot a glance twos way but shrugged it off seconds later and continued his conversation with his companion.

“Alright calm down princess.” Vuren tempered to calm with his free hand as the other swirled around in the soup bowl trying to fish out the large cuts of potato Vuren had seen earlier. “Since you clearly ain’t gonna go just tell me your issue.”

The dark elf, annoyed by Vuren’s words made obvious by the slight crinkle of her nose as she heard it was somehow calmed by the fact he somewhat accepted her offer, placed her hands on the table and intertwined her fingers in an inquisitive manner before beginning her sentence.

“I am Nifeerein Rosemary Ashido Fubuki Ravenwood. I am the queen of the…”

“Queen of the dark elves.” Vuren sighed as he finishes her sentence for her. “Yeah. You should start with your name next time. I’ll get you where you need to be faster.”

There was a slight hint of regret in Vuren’s voice as he said his last words as if he was angry with himself for pushing off a Queen like that. He knew he was not doing himself any favours in getting funding for his school but he assured himself that since his school was in a different country it would not affect him that badly. His demeanour changed though as he somehow felt compelled to sit up straighter and take a wider base. He was unsure if was because of her status, because of his attraction to her or because he was now forced into actually accepting her offer of plea. Vuren set the spoon down inside the bowl of half-eaten soup and pushed it to one side as he looks Nifeerein directly in her eyes and nods for her to continue her tale.

“We set out a number of days ago. I was to go to Ishimori to meet the light elf prince Saitama where we were to be married and join our bloodlines together. We thought it would bring peace or at least make a good step towards it but there is so much hate left between our species that it was destined to fail. On the way there we were attacked by a rebellion group. They s*******r my knights and everyone I travelled with just to get to me. My last knight, Sir Castagnoli, risked his life to power through the bandits and ensure I safely got away….”

There was a pain in her voice that was profound to Vuren. He had felt it in the past when he had lost friends and heard of colleagues passing. It was a dangerous job he did and his heart was now numb to death as he knew it to be a constant but a Queen, royalty protected behind walls would not understand it. Vuren knew she blamed herself and knew how dangerous that was. Guilt was something Vuren knew too well but was an emotion he pushed to the back of his mind as he learned to forget it. He knew the world was filled with death and he tried to never feel guilty over the decisions he made as he was in the business of killing monsters. Every time he shrugged off a wayward teen seeking to hire him as a tough man or a worried mother pleaded with him to find their child he understood that he may be residing them to death but he also understood that his job, although not clearly showing it, saved more lives in the long run and that was where the true choice lay. The choice to continue on ignoring the small grievances of villagers and cityfolk and focus on the larger dangers that need to be cleared out.

“So he got you free,” Vuren took up the sentence for Nifeerein as despite being sympathetic to her cause he knew that if a militia group were targeting her she was not safe. “and then you kept running till you got here?”

“Correct.” Nifeerein answered in a wavering voice. “I kept running till I could no more and then I found my way to this place. We had tried to use a different route to go to Ishimori, through the mountains, but they failed. They found us and when I was alone I did not know what way to go so I just ran from all elven territory to get away from them.”

This is why Vuren hated helping people. It was never simply. A quick task like lifting an especially heavy box or throwing out a rowdy drunk after he got too handsy was one thing but when people came to him with real issues they were always so complex. He hated them all. His job was simple. Find and kill a monster, rinse and repeat. Introduce people into the equation though was a task that often led to issues. People complicated things so easily with their conflicting ideas and egos. Every issues in the modern world stemmed from people and it was just another reason Vuren hated politics as it was nothing but the conflict of people. The issue he was left with is that as a queen, a ruler of an entire country, Vuren’s hands were essentially tied as he knew the scales of this conflict was too grand for him to just ignore but he desperately wished to. Vuren scratched his head and sighed as he resided himself to the fact he was destined to help the beautiful queen at all costs. 

“So when was that?” Vuren sighed.

“Yesterday.” Nifeerein answered sheepishly.

“You’ve been here since then?”

“I did not know where else to go.”

Vuren’s eyes shot up and locked on Nifeerein’s. Her emeralds showed no signs of wavering and a fear crept over Vuren’s skin. He knew the bandits Nifeerein spoke of and how committed they would be. He knew how deadly they were. He knew that Nifeerein haphazard attempts at being incognito were useless at best and glaringly obvious at worst. He knew that these bandits would be on her tail and he knew they had to leave for her safety and for the towns.

“We need to go.” He stated as he grabbed Nifeerein’s arm and pulled her towards the tavern door caring not for the subtly Nifeerein had wished to be held.

“Wha-“ Nifeerein managed to project before she was cut off by the sudden pull at her arm. It was so forceful the simple act of being dragged jolted up her arm and her vocal cords tensed as it reached her neck. Vuren did not care as he knew safety was more important than comfort. He was angry he was in the situation to being with but as a queen Vuren knew Nifeerein’s life meant the safety of countless others, especially with the uneasy alliance of the dark and light elves. Her life was worth so much to so many and it was imperative she remain alive. This was different to the other bugs the pestered him for help, she was essential to the world and if she fell the fate of the world change. She was necessary, but that did not mean Vuren had to enjoy being the one burdened with her.

As he reached the door Vuren, with his free hand, yanked at the handle and pulled it sharply towards him. The creaking door made the same vulgar sound as it did before but Vuren paid it no heed as he power through the open doorway. His plan was to ride Agro till she could go no more. Vuren knew she was spent after a long days walk but she was needed and Vuren believed in her abilities to at least get them out of sight of the village.

“I was just saying to myself that I recognised that horse over there.” The familiar voice of a demigod rang through Vuren’s ears as he struggled to process if what he saw was true or not.

“You and Agro. And inseparable pair.” The mocking tone thinning disguised with a charisma Jult neither gave cross nor earned.

“Jult.” Vuren said plainly as he turned his head to see the light elf jump down off his black horse scoff at the mud he landed in. Vuren let go of Nifeerein’s hand as he near instantly placed his hand on his sword hilt ready to draw at any second. Nifeerein, feeling the malignant energy from Jult, darted behind Vuren to avoid him but as she past Vuren she noticed the two towering light elf brutes who stood behind the two both of whom clutched large battle-axes in their hands.

“Been how many years since we last seen one another?” Jult asked Vuren as she shook of the dirt on his boot.

“Not long enough.” Vuren responded as he surveyed his surrounding trying to make a body count so he could strategies his next move.

“Calm down.” Jult instructed Vuren as he brought up his hands to see they were empty. “I’m not branding anything at the moment. And I can see your eyes darting about so I’ll just tell you that there are two gentlemen behind you, myself obviously, Sealky here and two others just behind me.”

The Sealky he referred to was a small yet toned light elf woman who was riding an exceptionally large stallion which made her seem all the smaller. Vuren inspected her as she trotted towards Jult and dismounted her horse just behind him. A sword swung from her waist covered by a worn-down sheath while her chest was littered with numerous knives of the throwing and close combat variety. Vuren looked at her face and saw her chiselled jawline that surpassed his and any other man he knew and as he looked upwards he saw the deep cuts on her forehead. They were no normal scar however, it seemed to be a symbol but of what Vuren could not make out.

“How everyone else at the school doing? Skalbag doing OK? Tahith still kicking around? What about Tierney? That old fart died yet or has he finally kicked the bucket?”

“There fine.” Vuren said definitively not wishing to get into a conversation with the light elf traitor.

“Vuren. Why so closed off? We used to be friends. Remember?” Jult said slowly and casually as he nonchalantly stepped forward only to step into some more mud. He grunted audibly as he raised his foot at shook off a large clump that had become stuck to the outside of well-polished boots.

“You lost all right to a conversation when you left like you did.” Vuren said with malice in his voice.

There was few people in the world Vuren hated. Many he disliked but only a select few that he outright despised and Jult was comfortably on that list. When living at the school in the early days Vuren was put through gruelling training regime after gruelling training regime but he was always able to power through not because of any will power of his own but because of the competitive spirit he and Jult had with one another. As demigods the two had rough upbringings and when they found their way to the School of the Minotaur they felt like a weight was lifted from them. No longer did they have to hide who they were, they were free to express themselves and not be prosecuted by others just because of their blood. It was mutual understanding between the two young men and as the grew up together they trained together to become the monster hunter they were meant to be. Others had joined them, Aaron showed up as a lost merman unsure of his place in the world and Skalbag was a dragon just out to prove the reputation people had of them was wrong, but the bond Vuren and Jult shared was one Vuren thought unbreakable. 

That was until the peace treaty. When Nifeerein had gained her crown at age twenty-one her first ruling as queen was to put an end to the war that had waged on between the dark and light elves. It was an unpopular move and one that brought her no favours with her people but her will was the way and soon her forces retreated and a fragile peace was obtained. Conversations were then being had with the light elf king and treaties were being signed, most were heavily debated by both sides and one or two were burned and cast out as they did not favour one species or so that species would say but the two races were learning to get better with one another and that was the progress that was needed.

Jult did not see it that way. Fortunately the School of the Minotaur had managed to avoid any dark elf recruits and no one saw the deep prejudice he held in his heart. Although Jult was a demigod and a cast out he still held onto the beliefs of a light elf, the belief of superiority over the dark elves. It was something no one had ever noticed at the school or more likely something they had all just ignored as something irritating yet harmless. When everyone realised how deeply sinister it was it was too late to stop it.

Jult had been on a mission to kill a cyclops that was rampaging his was through the kingdom of Caloneta and he was joined by several other mages and demigods in order to take down the beast. After the battle Jult had ran into the dark elf mage known as Alexandra DeWitt and she had began discussing the ongoing situation between the elven races. When she expressed her admiration for what Nifeerein had been doing Jult snapped at her saying all dark elves were filthy abominations who did not deserve the peace their queen so desired. The confrontation heated up till Jult stabbed DeWitt in the neck and fled. Vuren heard about the incident later from the School of the Minotaur’s head, Tahith, and he felt a shame unlike any other he had felt before. The shame then turned to confusion which turned to anger which ended up being a slow burning rage in his gut which had never truly died. Vuren felt betrayed by Jult’s actions and saw it all as a destruction of his friendship. He understood Jult harboured no ill-will towards him but to know that his friend was capable of cold-blooded murder just destroyed whatever feelings Vuren had for Jult and replaced them with simmering hate.

“Vuren. We are still friends. I ain’t here for you, in fact I wouldn’t mind going inside this lovely little watering hole, guzzle back a few beers and catch up with you. But… I do need the queen there though so we’re at a slight impasse I’m afraid.” Each word Jult said had the veneer of authenticity but Vuren could see the malign intent behind his eyes.

“f**k off Jult.” Vuren said as he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. He eyed up Sealky who had drawn a thrown knife and was busy twiddling it between her fingers the pay attention to Vuren. She licked her lips as she did but her encapsulation with the sharp steel broke as the door to the tavern opened and the three drunken squabblers toppled out. The three men nearly fell over one another as the first man stopped abruptly at the sight of the light elf g**g. Jult was taken off guard by it and turned his body towards them in inspect what was going on.

Vuren took the distraction as opportunity to escape and made a quickly sharp whistling sound that echoed across the village. Agro, understanding what she was to do, pulled back from her loose bonds and begins kicking up a fuss. She spun around and knocked over the two brutes behind her, making sure to gave each a solid kick as she did. She then charged past Nifeerein and Vuren who aptly side stepped his charging horse as she ploughed headfirst into Jult. Jult, still taken off guard by the attack, barely had time to draw his sword before the galloping mare collided with him and he bounced off her landing in the mud several feet. Sealky fared better as she rolled out of the way in time and sprung up within seconds. She turned her attention solely to Vuren and ignored the rampaging horse as her own got spooked and fled into the safety of the villages open gates.

Vuren saw the knife being thrown at him and drew his sword just in time to deflect it. The ringing metal on metal sound vibrated about Vuren’s ears as he momentarily glanced back at Nifeerein who was tossing around in the mud behind him confused and scared by all that surrounded her. Vuren knew she was too afraid to go anywhere and left her where she was. With his attention off Sealky however she managed to remove another knife from her belt and had already thrown it by the time her turned back. The throwing knife landed true and landed straight in Vuren’s left shoulder where it lodged itself firmly in place. As Vuren raised his arm he could feel the metal twisting even deeper inside him but he pushed through and closed the gap between him and Sealky to force her into drawing her sword. She did as expected and unsheathed her sword where she blocked the incoming attack from Vuren with grace by grabbing the tip of her sword with her free hand letting Vuren’s blade strike the central core of her weapon.

Vuren, still trying to analysis everything that was going on, looked over for the other light elves Jult had mentioned and saw the two close in on him. One came towards him and Sealky while the other ignored them and went to check on Jult. Vuren noticed the same strange mark of their foreheads also but he no time to check it as Sealky was one him in a flash. She swiftly released her grip from the top of her saber and swung it round to try and connect with Vuren leg. He lunged back and allowed it harmlessly pass by him as he saw the three drunken men dash off as quickly as there unsteady legs could carry them.

Nifeerein, still crawling around in the dirt, watched on in terror as everything whirled around her head. The speed of the attach had caught her off guard and she was still trying to process everything that had happened. She looked behind her to see one of the brutes cough up blood as he clutched at his abdomen while the other lay unresponsive in the mud. Nifeerein felt like crying as the confusion to her was like that of a new-born baby experiencing pain for the first time. She was so overwhelmed she did not even acknowledge that Agro had returned from her charge and had come to stand beside her. Nifeerein looked up at the horse who was know completed composed and shuddered at the unresponsive way it stood. Nifeerein could not comprehend how Agro could so easily switch from rampage mood to one of calm composure but Agro nevertheless stood unwavering in the face of danger as her master continued to fight.

Vuren was on the retreat as Sealky’s foot work was beyond good, it was expert. While Vuren had been received the occasional lesson from other demigods around the school he was mostly self-taught at the school more focused on warlocks and witches. Vuren, as a non-magic user, had to study manuals and treaties whenever he could get his hand on them. While his sword work was enough for monsters and beasts who required little more than a basic knowledge of combat ability fighting a thinking target was much different. A thinking target required tactics and planning which was not Vuren’s strong suit. He was usually a good in headfirst and see what happens kind of guy but here he was feeling the sting of his inattentiveness as Sealky was schooling him. Any wrong move could mean Vuren’s demise and therefore the demise of the queen which he could not allow. Even though Vuren knew this he saw no room for counterattack as all he could do was defend himself on instinct as Sealky close in on him with every strike. The well-trained elven warrior was waiting for an opportunity to strike at Vuren and he could see that in her eyes as with each blow she scanned him for weakness as she figured out her battle strategy.

Vuren was saved by the grace of the gods however, or more precisely the poor terrain they were fighting on, as the muddy ground below caused Sealky to sink slightly into a marshy patch which set her off balance allowing Vuren to strike. He saw the opportunity and as Sealky stumbled he rotated his arms held his sword up high before bring it crashing back down into Sealky’s neck. The razor-sharp sword pierced the light elf’s skin so precisely on the jugular that within seconds of contact a geyser of blood poured forth from the wound and gushed down the porcelain white skin of the elf.

Proud of his strike, Vuren had not time to celebrate as another elf descended upon him from behind Sealky. Fortunately Vuren had time to prepare for this one and adeptly counter the incoming blow with one hand while flicking his wrist with the other at the open tavern window. Drawing his hand in the other direction the flame from the lit candle followed Vuren’s movements and grew in size as they roared forwards. Connecting with the charging light elf, they splashed all over his clothes and expanded near instantaneously to envelop him in a bright orange glow. The light elf screeched in pain but Vuren kicked him back letting him tumble to the mud below. The muck did little to stop the blaze though and Vuren smelt the burning of flesh as the light elf floundered on the ground below him. He convulsed with pain as Vuren got to look at the scar on their foreheads once more before charging off. He still could not make out what it as meant to be but he did not stop to find out as he galloped away.

“Get on.” He signalled to Nifeerein as she continued to whimper behind Agro. Vuren leapt onto his trusted companion with grace and awaited Nifeerein to do the same so the two could be off but he as he turned to see where she was he saw her still cowering on the floor below. Leaning down and grabbing her wrist, Vuren pulled her up on Agro which he only slightly resisted at but she was completed in a haze and had no idea who he was or what his desires with her were. She screamed at the contact but Vuren ignored it and pulled her up anyway. Ensuring she wrapped her arms around her waisted by yanking at them hard, Vuren kicked Agro in the ribs and she bolted forwards into a blistering gallop. The one light elf still standing toom his attention from Jult in order to grab remove his sword from his belt in a vain attempt to stop their escape but Vuren guided Agro’s path ever so slightly so she would crash into him at a half charge. The light elf crumbled to the floor and was crushed under her weight as Vuren continued to spur Agro on.