things? Humans? Dwarves? What have they to say of your people? As your people’s names have been tarnished by fallacy, so too have the dark elves,” said Zander, his voice carrying spiteful anger. “We did not start the War of Drindellia, ’twas the intolerance of the Elves of the Sun that drove us to defend ourselves. I was born without the gift of magic. Eadon used his power to give many of us the gift of Orna Catorna. But the sun elves did not approve. They came after us. They waged war. Yes, we know honor, but our shared enemies do not.”
Aurora sensed a deep seeded anger within him, one born of oppression and injustice. She understood. Long her own people harbored such racial pains. But she did not trust the dark elf, and therefore his every word remained suspect.
“ You do not believe me,” said Zander.
“ I believe those I trust, and you have yet to gain mine,” said Aurora.
Zander laughed, his handsome smile doing more to disarm her than his words.
“ I doubt many can lay claim to such a feat,” said Zander.
“ What feat?”
“ Gaining your trust.”
A urora threw him a look.
T hey rode on in silence. It was near noon now she guessed. The thick, hazy cloud cover gave no clear indication of the sun’s position. Many hundred yards ahead, the lich Azzeal steered them ever south. Aurora hoped soon they would be rid of the undead elf. She grew weary of his presence. He often stopped and looked back upon the armies; she imagined those milky white eyes staring through her even over such distance.
“ You were not born with magic?” she asked Zander.
“ No.”
“ And you were taught by Eadon?”
“ He awakened dormant parts of my brain,” Zander explained.
“ Why did the Elves of the Sun find offense?” she asked.
“ Are you familiar with the relationship between the practitioners and the Enta?”
“ I have been told the Enta offer their power to the gifted ones. Theirs is a symbiotic union.”
“ Union,” Zander scoffed. “It is slavery. The Elves of the Sun know the gift can be shared, and they are threatened. Eadon freed us from our bondage. He empowered us to be more than energy slaves, constantly being leached of our inner strength.”
Aurora reminded herself to be weary of the dark elf, but she found herself believing him. An idea came to her then.
“ If elves not born with the gift can be taught… can humans be taught also?”
Zander did not hide his pleasure. “Yes, you could be taught the ways of the Orna Catorna. The sun elves know this as well, yet they do not help any but themselves. In five hundred years, how much has their magic helped your people?” he asked.
Aurora did not have to search long for the answer. The elves remained strangers to the barbarians of Volnoss. From what she had gleaned from her time with the other races, they were strangers to all of Agora.
“ Would you teach me?” she asked. Though she hated asking the dark elf for anything, she was tempted by the idea of wielding magic.
“ I can awaken your mind, but the art does not come quickly. I have studied the arts for hundreds of years, and I have only mastered three of the schools.”
“ Could I live so long?” she asked.
“ With the power to be gained through the practice, you might be Chieftain of the Seven for a thousand years.”
Aurora ’s heart leapt at the prospect. She imagined the grand empire she might build with the power of the elves. She would have many daughters, the empresses of the Seven. The barbarians would grow strong once again, and never would they be defeated.
Many grand fantasies kept Aurora occupied the remainder of the journey. By nightfall, the city of Orenden rose beyond the distant valley. The many lights of the city illuminated the thick dark clouds that had blanketed the sky all day. In the valley before the city, a sea of tents emerged. Many banners hung in the still night air.
Azzeal stood like a statue looking out over the valley as Aurora and her
Aurora sensed a deep seeded anger within him, one born of oppression and injustice. She understood. Long her own people harbored such racial pains. But she did not trust the dark elf, and therefore his every word remained suspect.
“ You do not believe me,” said Zander.
“ I believe those I trust, and you have yet to gain mine,” said Aurora.
Zander laughed, his handsome smile doing more to disarm her than his words.
“ I doubt many can lay claim to such a feat,” said Zander.
“ What feat?”
“ Gaining your trust.”
A urora threw him a look.
T hey rode on in silence. It was near noon now she guessed. The thick, hazy cloud cover gave no clear indication of the sun’s position. Many hundred yards ahead, the lich Azzeal steered them ever south. Aurora hoped soon they would be rid of the undead elf. She grew weary of his presence. He often stopped and looked back upon the armies; she imagined those milky white eyes staring through her even over such distance.
“ You were not born with magic?” she asked Zander.
“ No.”
“ And you were taught by Eadon?”
“ He awakened dormant parts of my brain,” Zander explained.
“ Why did the Elves of the Sun find offense?” she asked.
“ Are you familiar with the relationship between the practitioners and the Enta?”
“ I have been told the Enta offer their power to the gifted ones. Theirs is a symbiotic union.”
“ Union,” Zander scoffed. “It is slavery. The Elves of the Sun know the gift can be shared, and they are threatened. Eadon freed us from our bondage. He empowered us to be more than energy slaves, constantly being leached of our inner strength.”
Aurora reminded herself to be weary of the dark elf, but she found herself believing him. An idea came to her then.
“ If elves not born with the gift can be taught… can humans be taught also?”
Zander did not hide his pleasure. “Yes, you could be taught the ways of the Orna Catorna. The sun elves know this as well, yet they do not help any but themselves. In five hundred years, how much has their magic helped your people?” he asked.
Aurora did not have to search long for the answer. The elves remained strangers to the barbarians of Volnoss. From what she had gleaned from her time with the other races, they were strangers to all of Agora.
“ Would you teach me?” she asked. Though she hated asking the dark elf for anything, she was tempted by the idea of wielding magic.
“ I can awaken your mind, but the art does not come quickly. I have studied the arts for hundreds of years, and I have only mastered three of the schools.”
“ Could I live so long?” she asked.
“ With the power to be gained through the practice, you might be Chieftain of the Seven for a thousand years.”
Aurora ’s heart leapt at the prospect. She imagined the grand empire she might build with the power of the elves. She would have many daughters, the empresses of the Seven. The barbarians would grow strong once again, and never would they be defeated.
Many grand fantasies kept Aurora occupied the remainder of the journey. By nightfall, the city of Orenden rose beyond the distant valley. The many lights of the city illuminated the thick dark clouds that had blanketed the sky all day. In the valley before the city, a sea of tents emerged. Many banners hung in the still night air.
Azzeal stood like a statue looking out over the valley as Aurora and her
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