Consciousness returning to her, Jedd lazily forced her eyes open, pushing herself to rise from the lulling slumber and comfy bed she lay on. Groaning and stretched her arms out, she then wiped the grains out of her eyelids, rubbing them out of their sleepy numbness too.

Realizing then that she wasn’t in her bedroom, and remembering her current circumstances…

She glanced around, seeing each of her party and Kaine’s old guildmates slumped down onto their own beds all around the room, all of them fast asleep. All but Kaine himself who was nowhere to be seen.

As her vision unblurred and mind settled from just waking up, Jedd began noticing the further details of the room they were in. From the light green low grassy flooring to the light brown wooden walls and ceiling, plant stems and leaves growing out of the walls themselves as if the entire room was still rooted in.

Even the beds they lay on were fully natural, from the cotton mattress and headrest she sank into, to the sheets made of bound and durable leaves she lay on.

“Slept well?” Then suddenly asked a disembodied voice, as a figure faded into existence, standing with her back to the only door leading out of the room.

Immediately Jedd inspected the Elf, her frantic eyes glancing the woman up and down.

{Watch Captain} Tsarra Reylee [Level 24]

With long, almost emerald, bright green hair and piercing silver eyes, the pale-skinned Elven woman glanced at each of them with a friendly smile as they slowly woke. “We went ahead and stored away all of your weapons,” Tsarra said, seeing both Dark and Sin immediately look around for their sword and pole-arm.

“We haven’t had visitors in a…long time, I’m sure you understand us taking some precautions.” She mused with a shrug, “Ah speaking of, where are my manners?” rising from the wall then to stand at the center of the room and them. “I am one of Calen’Ris’s border Watch Captains, Tsarra of clan Reylee. We’ve been expecting you, and I’m sure you all have questions so let’s get on with those first.” She said, gesturing for them to speak.

“Uh, expecting us? How?” Sin spoke first, cutting the others off.

“We have many a seer here in Calen’Ris, we did not know how many nor that we were to expect beings of other races…but we were expecting ‘Visitors from another world.’” Tsarra explained, “The prophecies were very clear though, that none of you are of this world, less so realm.”

“So you know?” Roy then asked.

“Know?” Tsarra repeated in question.

“Ah…You know not what world we’re from? Why we’re here?” Roy added on.

Tsarra’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him now, “No, that we do not know. Might you enlighten us on that subject?”

“We’re asking the questions first, though, aren’t we?” Dark then stepped in as he rose to sitting on the bed’s side, glaring coldly at the Elf. “But to answer yours, no we don’t know why we’re here, only where we come from and that is not really important to our current predicament. What matters to you is that we’re stuck here, we don’t know how to go back.”

Tsarra pondered over Dark’s response briefly, eyeing the Weretiger up with suspicion at first. “Hmm, if that’s so then it answers most of our questions, although creates many more at the same time.” Sighing then seemingly in frustration, “Well, anything else?”

“Where’s Jor?” Rey then asked, noticing his absence as she came to.

“Your friend is sickly, he’s been placed in solitary for now while our priests make their way here to take a look at him.” Tsarra replied simply.

“Sick? With what?” Jedd questioned, having an inkling of the general feud between Dark elves and other Elves from most games and fantasy.

“You travel with a Dark Elf in your midst yet know not of their sickness?” Tsarra then asked with a disbelieving raised brow…but seeing their blank and confused expression after, she simply sighed. “It is not a sickness of body, but one of spirit and mind. Well, that’s how the High Priest’s teachings go anyway. Personally, I’ve never heard of a Dark Elf appearing in my life time, although what I have heard is horror stories of old.”

“W-What will h-happen to him?” Lara asked after several moments of silent contemplation.

“I…honestly don’t know,” Tsarra mused, “I don’t really remember the texts speaking of what happens to them…I’m sure the priests will take care of him though, there’s no sickness high or holy healing magic cannot subdue so nothing to worry your minds about.” She assured them with a smile.

“Is that so…” Sin mused with a smirk, “Then what will happen to us?” She asked, gesturing at the rest.

“We have a few questions to ask, mainly of what you might have encountered on your way here…We don’t leave the Living Ravine much, so the world outside is mostly a misty mystery to us.” Tsarra explained, “After which, you’ll be allowed into the city’s outskirts, but watched for a few days. If you make a friend of Calen’Ris, we may allow you into the city proper.”

“So we’re free to leave?” Dark then asked, as he and Sin glanced at one another.

“You aren’t our prisoners if that is the root of your questioning,” Tsarra then explained with a chuckle, “Yes you’re free to leave as you wish, you will undergo inspection as you leave and if you return though.”

Each of them then looked at one another, unsure what to ask next, but feeling as if they had to ask more. Too used now to the anxiety of fighting to survive from the past week, Tsarra’s relaxed attitude caused each of them to feel awkward and suspicious.

“One last question then,” Farvo stepped to the task, “You say your people don’t leave this city much, does that mean you aren’t in contact with other worldly powers? Other nations or people?”

Tsarra smiled awkwardly at that question, “Ah…Right, you probably don’t know.”

“Know what?” Dark snapped, both curious and cautious.

“The desert, then the savannah, the jungle, these cliffs and the lake beyond is as far as this realm goes.” Tsarra explained, “A ‘Realm’ is what we call the individual islands of existence spread about this shattered world of ours. It has been eons since we’ve had contact with the other races, we don’t even know if they exist anymore. At first we thought your arrival meant contact with some of them but the prophecy was clear that you came from another world, not realm or land.”

“So the answer is no then?...Well that puts a dead end to my train of thought…” Farvo sighed, glancing at Roy and Jedd then, “We should tell them, we know what’s coming and they might enlighten us on the quest.”

“What…might you be speaking of?” Tsarra asked as she watched a silent conversation go on between them.

“We’ll tell you what we know,” Jedd then spoke, standing up to face Tsarra, “But on the condition that you let us speak with our Dark Elf first. He may be sick as you say, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s with us.” She stated plainly, her glare meeting Tsarra’s narrowing gaze.

Moments passed by, as the two sized each other up. Tsarra pondered their offer, “I see little reason to disagree, some I see of course, his Dark Elf affliction being one…” She glanced over them all then, “I’ll allow it, as long as you agree to not withhold any information from us and be honourful of that agreement. We Wood Elves have a good sense of perceiving mischief and misguidance.” She then said with a grin, glancing between Sin and Dark.

Turning around, “Well, follow me.”, Tsarra stepped to the door as she gestured for them to follow.

Dark and Sin rose to follow, but the rest waited for Jedd to give the go, moving to follow only once she had. Sticking together as they lay surrounded by the unknown.

“What do you think?” Roy whispered to Jedd as he moved to walk by her, each of them keeping an out of earshot distance as they walked out of the doorway and after Tsarra. Met with a porch-like area from which two roped bridges went across to other platforms before them.

“We keep to our word, for now. Our top priorities right now are making contact with Jor and figuring out the Elves’ standing with what is coming and the quest.” Jedd whispered back and Roy nodded, then glancing back to make sure the others heard as well while they walked directly behind them both.

Dark and Sin on the other hand were far more busy glancing around at the structures and terrain, seemingly built around these massive trees, which hovered above the ravine’s floor.

They could make out up to seven small and three large platforms in total, with bridges taking to and from every single one. Each small platform being built around a single tree while the large ones held onto three to four trees each.

The trees in question had a thin but very long trunk, completely straight too, indicating that the wood itself was abnormally strong. Glancing below they saw the roots, thicker than the trunk itself they would spread out of the very visible bottom and dig into the ravine’s cliff-sides, holding up the tree itself.

Looking above then, all they could see were the tree tops, hundreds of branches slithering about and entangling around each other, forming a ceiling of leaves and twigs. Out of the tree’s branches though fell greenish vines, which halfway down to the roots seemingly broke up into several more tendrils and spread from root to root, creating a strange looking web of sorts.

But that was not all Sin and Dark were looking around for, as briefly their gazes would go over one of the several Elven guards which stood around this place. Tall like all Elves, they noticed one thing they all also had in common though. While their eyes differed between silver like Tsarra’s, or blue and green, their hair colour was solely green. Although differing in shade, every single Wood Elf they could see had some sort of green coloured hair.

What mostly caught their attention though was the equipment these Elves were armed with. From a peculiar looking set of dark green armour seemingly made of tough leaves and vines, they also held strange long dark green staves ending in leaf-like spear points. A type of spear or pole-blade they assumed, but the make of it is what was so strange.

While they understood the camouflage their armour provided, the leaf shaped spear-ends seemed both inconvenient and out of the ordinary.

“Ironleaf,” Tsarra then said, noticing their glances as they walked across the shifty looking bridge, “It is only one of many kinds of leaves which the trees within the living ravine produce, tougher than stone but lighter than bark. Much of our equipment is made from it and the Silkvines you see growing around you now.”

“Iron huh?” Farvo mused as he too then glanced at the weapons.

“Here you are,” Tsarra said as she stepped aside, gesturing to the door she now stood by. “He has probably just woken as well, I left two guards with him to watch over while I welcomed you so he wouldn’t be too shaken.” She explained, opening the door then.

Revealing what lay within…

-

--

Moments earlier.

--

-

Kaine silently woke from his first dreamless awakening since his first day in this world, his eyes being met with a dim light coming from a couple plant bulbs which lay hanging from the room’s ceiling. Shifting about, he felt the manacles which lay around both his arms and legs, hearing the chains drag along the ground nearby too.

He glanced about and sure enough he had been chained to the wall, although the manacles and chains had a strange wooden look, they surely felt smooth and heavy enough to be iron. Not something he could easily break out of.

“Hmph, looks like he’s finally woken up.” Mused one of the two guards who stood watching him from across the room, a wall of wooden bars separating them from him.

“Maybe he can sort our dilemma then,” Said the other with a smirk as he walked over to the bars, leaning onto them and looking down at Kaine. “So, you actually a Dark Elf or is something wrong with your pigment? Cap called in the priests and didn’t tell us much else, so we’ve been pondering. Where you from?”

Kaine’s eyes narrowed as he rose into a sitting position, his bindings not allowing him room for much else. “Where am I?” He asked plainly.

“So, we playing that game huh?” Sighed the closer guard, noticing that this one was older and clean shaven unlike the younger bearded Elf, Kaine decided to name them accordingly in his mind. “You’re at the furthest west border outpost from Calen’Ris, the edge of the living ravine. Your turn.” Said Baldy.

“Sidd we’re not allowed to question him…” Beardy complained.

“You wanna find out or not?” Baldy argued back, to which Beardy seemed to have no retort. Returning then to Kaine, “Well? You actually a Dark Elf?” Baldy pressed on.

Kaine though fell silent at his question, eyeing the two guards up for several moments before answering. “How would me answering that question benefit you?”

“Hah! Sly one right here.” Baldy mused with a chuckle, “Cause we’ve only heard of your kind in fairy tales kid, the kind of tales our elders barely remember.”

This did not surprise Kaine, but it did give him some relief.

At least they’re not burning me at the stake…yet.

“What do you know of Dark Elves then?” Kaine then asked.

“Really? Come on now that’s not how you play this game, first answer one of mine then I answer one of yours. That’s how it works, understand?” Baldy explained in amusement.

“I understand, now you answer my question.” Kaine said much to Beardy’s amusement, “What do you know of Dark Elves?”

At which Baldy’s expression visibly twitched in annoyance, “Right…” face-palming then and sighing.

“Hey, he played you, can’t argue with that.” Beardy said with a chuckle, “What we know? Little really, from what the Elder’s Coven tell us of the ancient scriptures…You’re sick, your soul is afflicted with dark emotions and your body now reflects them.”

“Heh, some also say you’re like a beast now, with no control over your reason nor actions.” Baldy mused.

“Or that he became a Dark because of how he acted with little reason…There’s varying explanations, none really consistent.” Beardy explained.

“He’d know,” Baldy then said, returning to Kaine. “Don’t you?”

Again Kaine took a silent moment to ponder, glancing in between them when something suddenly caught his attention. Diverting his gaze so they wouldn’t notice what he had, he then met Baldy’s curious stare. “I don’t know much either. Neither do I know which version is actual.”

“Come on you gotta know something?” Badly argued.

“I know I’m still Elf, but I have access to magic I did not have before.” Kaine then said, to which Baldy’s interest grew.

“What kind of magic?” He asked with a raised brow.

“Shadow manipulation and other magic concentrated around darkness…Also,” Kaine gestured with his head to beyond the bars, following that Baldy then glanced around just in time to see Nova leap off Beardy’s neck and towards him. “Demons.” Kaine said simply, watching as Beardy fell to the ground unconscious, while Nova lay entangled around Baldy’s neck with her wings wrapping his mouth closed.

Baldy struggled, pulling and hitting at the serpent’s body while it choked him, his muffled grumbles and muttering inaudible as her wings lay tight around his mouth. There was nothing he could do to pull it off as it continued to restrict the further he fought. Falling to the floor then as well, the both of them now lay unconscious on the ground.

“Foolish Alfs, oh how careless have they grown over these lazy eons.” Nova mused with a hiss as she uncoiled from around Baldy’s neck, turning then to slither in between the wooden bars.

“Well done, can you get these off me?” Kaine then asked as the serpent came to lay behind him where his hands where bound together.

“Hah, an easy task.” Nova mused, and Kaine suddenly felt a heat radiating into his wrists.

“Ow, don’t burn my skin off!” Kaine hissed back at his familiar, feeling the searing flames heat up his bindings.

“Surely master can resist for a few seconds…” Nova groaned as the rising heat then paused, “You may break them now.” She said, and Kaine tried to pull his hands apart.

Surely enough the manacles broke, releasing him from the chains too as he now rose to standing.

“These things are strong but weak to fire,” Nova mused as she poked the broken manacles about with her tail, “Does master wish me to burn this entire place down behind us?”

“No…just, break me out.” Kaine told the pyromaniac.

“Nobody appreciates hellfire this age…” Watching then as Nova grumbled through burning the shackles at his legs, fully freeing him of his bindings.

Now able to walk around the small enclosure, Kaine turned to the cage which separated him from the guards and singular door. “Can you burn these off too?” He asked the serpent, gripping his hands around two of the bars as he did. “They really feel like iron…”

“Ironwood I believe,” Nova mused as she slithered to lay by the enclosure’s gate, “And yes, I can.” She said, then breathing out a blaze of dark flames which quickly turned the strange wood into a deep dark charcoal black. “There, master is free now.”

Pushing on the gate, Kaine watched as the lock broke apart with ease, allowing him to open it.

“Ironwood, full of life energy, something hellfire eats up much more quickly than any other flame to most trees.” Nova explained as she slithered over to climb Kaine’s leg, but was stopped as he stepped away and out of the enclosure. “Not that master care-” She was about to grumble once more, but was cut off.

“Hmm, maybe Tsarra should have put three guards to watch you…” Suddenly mused a female voice, startling Kaine into a defensive stance, but finding nothing as he reached for his weapons.

“Well, I guess I count as the third.” She said, Kaine then recognizing it as the same melodic voice he heard before passing out.

“Who-” Kaine was about to ask, being cut off before then.

“Oh me?” She asked, the voice now suddenly having an origin as Kaine turned to it, only to see a young Elven woman sitting on the body of one of the unconscious guards.

She had short, dark green hair with strands of bright yellow alongside piercing eyes of gold. Her slender body having the palest skin he had ever seen as well, almost sickly in colour.

The woman suddenly stood up, Kaine now finding himself face to face with her.

“Apologies! I should introduce myself first!” She exclaimed seemingly in excitement, “I am Lixiss of the clan Sol, and I absolutely want to know more of you and where you come from!” She announced loudly, suddenly leaning closer to Kaine with a blindingly bright smile, causing him to lean away in confusion.

Her eyes then locking onto his, as he found himself unable to look away. Lixiss too found herself staring into his dark green slits. “You really are…interesting.” She mused, as her smile widened.

Kaine then hearing the door open, he glanced its way to see another Elven guard and his party outside. But returning to Lixiss then, he froze up as she suddenly pulled in closer.

Her soft lips, meeting his quivering mouth as she grabbed onto his tatter shirt, pulling him closer.

Kaine found that he was unable to resist, much less pull away, being startled further even as he felt her tongue enter his mouth.

What.