The elves' life was peaceful. They had lived all their life in the protective embrace of the Great Forest of Alfheim. They spent their days living in harmony with nature, protecting and admiring its beauty. Though their peaceful way of life is not to be mistaken for weakness. Their rouges, archers and assassins were a force to be reckon with.

Then one day everything changed. The great catastrophe which would be etched into history forever. The one which destroyed everything they held dear in the blink of an eye. Creatures not of Mother Nature had invaded their word, their lands. By doing so, they destroyed the great forest and annihilated all inhabitants, who couldn't escape their reach.

The elves had not known war before, not known fear, for the forest had always been enough to keep all dangers at bay. No demi-human, no beast-man dared to venture inside the woods. Their days were spent admiring the beauty of nature and the cycle of life, they only ever known violence through hunting in the forest.

Their guardian spirit, their God always inspired fear in all who knew him. All but in the elves. They knew it well that the great spirit of nature would not harm them but protect them. However, that day this garden of Eden of theirs would end abruptly.

The great beast of the forest howled in pain when another deep wound was etched across its face. The abnormalities were strong, stronger than it should be possible as they heavily beat down the protector of the forest.

The elves had no choice, but to flee. To leave their home and venture out into the wide world and look for a new place to settle. A new area they would eventually learn to call home.

…

The refugees were on the run for 3 days straight. They had crossed the mountain range separating the great forest from the rest of the world, and the great trench of the dead. They had lost many friends, and several loved ones throughout the journey, but they could not stop, less the monsters catch up to them.

In the front a young woman stood. She was dressed in green cloth, adorned with silver lining along the edges. She had a stern expression on her face as moonlight gleamed in her eyes.

She was a royal, an elf with great power. She led her people with conviction through thick and thin, but now… She made a grim face as she felt something in the distance. It was an impossibly powerful aura rising in the east, and she had no doubt that should it notice their presence it would be the end of elf kind.

…

Ellee let out a sigh as she finally let herself relax after the long journey. She had led the elves to safety. She recalled the gruesome scenes as the fleeing elves were caught one after another by the nightmarish creatures ravaging the land. She shuddered at the thought of how many of her kin were caught in their desperate escape. The royal guards of her family were the only ones who could put up a fight, but even they were overwhelmed not long after she made her escape.

She looked down at the medallion her grandfather had given her. It was a half moon, symbolizing their heritage. The other half was a half sun, it was lost in the hasty retreat. The two were half of one another. The artefact meant to symbolize the endless cycle of day and night, life and death. Now it gained a new meaning in her eyes, hope and despair.

…

She readied herself to go and give a speech before her people. She wanted to give them comfort, but now she had to encourage them to carry on their journey. It was still a long way to go before they could be safe from the malice.

However, deep down she knew… She knew it well that the darkness might cover the world, and then there would be no place left to run. She could only hope that her people would be safe at the end of their journey.

She left the tent earlier set up for resting purposes. She nodded to her two remaining royal guards at the entrance of the tent, as she passed them.

The people were already waiting for their ruler, their royal highness. They glanced peaks at her, trying their best to remain unnoticed. She moved with grace which could only be executed after decades of practice. Murmurs could be heard in the crowd as the people's gossip spread around.

The Queen was ready to speak, although she was but a child considering she was only a little over 70 years old, the presence which she commanded was absolute. Ever since she was a child, she was different.

She didn't spend her days only admiring the nature, but she practiced. She practiced her bow and sword skills while hunting the beasts of the forest, and in the process, she had gained abilities unheard of a child. Her aura also changed as she grew which was complimented by her amethyst eyes, proof of her royal heritage and power.

Their Queen was ready to declare their course of action, and they would follow without hesitation. Her royal highness without a shadow of a doubt had already devised their safest route to their new home. The chattering ceased the moment their ruler raised her right arm, signaling her intent to speak.

However, before sound could escape her delicate lips a terrible explosion shook the area. The people fell yet again when a second wave shook the ground. When the people managed to gather themselves, they could see their queen with wide bloodshot eyes. She was staring into the distance where the once great mountain range of Trist stood. Their mouth hanged open as they witnessed the spectacle themselves.

The mountains were made equal to the ground. There in the rubble a golden specter reflected the moonlight. Those with more sophisticated senses could see a white boney hand grasping the staff. Slowly a skeleton rose while showing his back to them. The hunters with their superior senses followed the line of vision of the skeleton and when they laid their eyes upon the towering aberration cold sweat broke out all over their bodies.

Their bodies froze. It is said that all living beings, be they animal or human or any other intelligent species, were armed with a defensive instinct. Thanks to this they were able to recognize life threatening situations, and their bodies would involuntarily play dead.

They couldn't move, they felt their muscles tense, and yet they could not release the pressure. They could not break into a sprint. Their eyes reflected their fear, the look they gave was like that of the cornered prey. Feral and instinctual. They were broken out of their trance by their queen's command.

"Retreat." Their queen said in a near inaudible voice.

The people did not move, their cold sweat trickled down their spines as they slowly turned their heads back towards their ruler.

"NOW! GO!" She bellowed this time much more clearly, and much louder. The people liberated from their fear-stricken phase, hastily retreated. While doings so they gave grateful nods to their ruler before disappearing behind a small hill.

Their queen had made sure that everyone moved and escaped, after she did so she glanced one last time towards the distance. The skeleton was encompassed in a bright dome of light, countless unknown runes spinning around him. "Beautiful." She couldn't help but mutter out loud.

"My queen! We have to go!" A royal guard shouted making her take notice.

Then, she could see it. The souls of the dead, meant to be reclaimed by mother nature. The souls meant to join their next cycle of life were mercilessly ripped away by the undead as it gathered them around him before through a black portal it all disappeared.

Soon black bobs appeared throughout the battlefield, and the meek bleating of goats could be heard.

"Goats?" Then she saw it. Aberrations of black tentacle monsters appeared in the area. Hundreds of towering creatures which moved and followed the commands of the skeletal magic caster.

"What?" Her mind couldn't process the information. This was just too much, even for her. While she hastily retreated with the last of her royal guards a singular thought ran across her mind.

"I can only hope that they destroy each other. If any of them lives this world will be in grave danger."

…

After retreating to a safe distance, she ordered her best assassins to go to the field of the battle, and execute the winner, whoever it is they should be greatly weakened and tired after that mighty struggle.

The moonlight elves were great if not the best assassins elf kind could offer, and so they would be perfect for the job. It was their only chance to make sure that the world did not fall into darkness. That nature did not perish.

Their battle already wrought great destruction upon the lands of Gaia, the Queen could only hope her elites would not fail their job, and deliver the monsters from this world.

"What?!" The Dragon Emperor bellowed after his informants relayed the outcome of the battle. Veins stretched across his forehead as anger boiled inside of him. "How can this be?!" He hit the gigantic stone table with his fists causing it to collapse under the terrible blow.

The Dragon Lords shuddered in the room, knowing full well the consequences should they be the aim of his fury, it wouldn't bode well for them.

"GRRHHH. Gather the others! I will not take this humiliation! We will hunt down that skeleton and will make it suffer before we grind his bones into dust!" The Dragon Emperor so declared, before leaving the room in a less than magnified manner.

"He has finally gone insane." The Dragon lords thought as they eyed each other, trying to decide who would be willing to risk their life in betraying the mighty Emperor.