Leandra smelled smoke and heard the crackle of fire burning wood. Her city was burning and she ran through the streets, crying and searching for her mother, desperate to see her father and brothers. She was still young, too young to wield arrows or spears like those who defended her.
However, those defenders did not defend successfully, but were killed by the attackers. Now the defenders of the city are all dead, leaving only the old and the weak.
A terrible noise filled the air, and it took Leandra several minutes to realize that it was the sound of seagulls, flying and screaming through the smoke.
The port near the vast ocean was on fire, and half-burnt corpses lay face down in the water, like a group of miserable ghosts. Shouts of fear and wails of agony filled the air, forming a symphony of death.
Everywhere Leandra could see was mist and shadow, obscured by flames and shrouded in smoke. She coughed, thick phlegm flowing from her mouth and staining her gorgeous clothes. She was crawling for a while before she realized she had fallen and her hands and knees were covered in mud and blood.
In Leandra's dark, closed world, she couldn't exactly tell where the trumpet was blowing. She knew the sound, just like she knew the attackers were escaping, just like she knew the attackers' black raiders were filled with slaves, just like she knew the kingdom of Lothern had responded. The ships of the sea guards were arriving, which filled the attacking Druch with fear and had to flee.
Leandra was blinded by the smoke. She reluctantly stretched out her hand and touched the edge of a damaged trolley. As she crawled under the car for cover, an iron-hard hand grabbed her ankle. She screamed as she was pulled, and looking back she saw a ghostly face through tear-filled eyes.
Although her brothers told Leandra stories about Druch, she had never seen Druch before. Druch was so far away from her, but now so close to her. Druchi's face was pale, his facial features looked sharper, and his nose and cheekbones were full of scratches.
Liandra screamed again at the sight of Druch's twisted face, and Druch laughed at her screams, lost in her fear. Druchi's face was not only scratched, but also full of sharp-edged runes. The runes made her eyes sting under the devastation of the fire. She resisted hysterically and kicked her legs wildly. Her legs hit Druch's face, making Druch roar angrily. She was still trying and resisting, but Druch grabbed his ankle and twisted it hard. The severe pain made her faint at that moment.
"Kane's feast is just for kids like you." Druchi hissed with a cruel and ferocious look on his face. His breath was filled with the smell of blood. After speaking, he pulled out a knife with serrated edges. A curved dagger.
Leandra struggled and looked around for help, but there was no one around. It was as if she and Druch were the only ones in the whole scene, as well as the inexhaustible smoke and fire. Although the warriors from the Kingdom of Lothern came, they could not reach her in time. For a moment, she thought about what would happen next. She might be disemboweled by Druchi with that sharp dagger, or be imprisoned in a dirty ship. Both of these ways would herald her death. But she, Leandra, is the princess of the Kingdom of Caledor. She has a warrior's heart, and her veins are filled with burning fire. Although she can't fight yet, she will not give up resistance, let alone give up. fighting.
However, the ideal is full, and Drucci, who has no sense of ladies first and no moral sense of hitting women, punched Leandra hard on the chin. This heavy blow made her lose the ability to resist, and she whimpered. She passed out, but just like last time, she regained consciousness quickly. When she opened her eyes again, her vision was filled with the sharp dagger. She could clearly see the black blade, covered with blood, and she could feel the wailing of her compatriots scattered on the dagger.
"Mother..." Leandra, who was still young, finally cried when faced with this horrific scene.
After Druchi spat, he grunted, the dagger slipped from Leandra's sight, and a grimace appeared on his ferocious face.
However, just as the cliche plot never ends, the cliché plot appears again.
"Let her go, you bastard!"
An Asur woman appeared behind Druch, holding a broken spear handle in her trembling hands.
"Mother," Leandra cried again as she watched Druchi block the second swing of the spear shaft and disarm her mother with ease.
"Run, run, Leandra!" Although the spear handle in Leandra's mother's hand fell to the ground, she did not give up resistance, she urged her daughter, she cried to Leandra With.
At the same time, Leandra's mother rushed towards Druchi who was approaching her and hit him with her fist. Druchi easily grabbed her fist and pierced the dagger deeply into her. chest.
Leandra's eyes suddenly opened wide. The smoke and flames were still as strong as ever, but time seemed to freeze at this moment. She stopped breathing, and the figure in front of her turned into a hazy outline. Her mother fell to the ground, but she couldn't even form a word.
"Mother..."
Drucci turned around after finishing Liandra's mother. The dagger he was holding was filled with dark energy, which was constantly flashing and dripping to the ground with gravity. As the darkness dripped, so did Leandra's last vestiges of innocence.
The horns were still blaring, and the warriors of the Kingdom of Lothern were getting closer, but for Leandra's mother, it was too late.
Druch rushed towards Liandra, but as soon as he took a few steps, a sharp arrow shot through his chest, and then the sharp arrow that followed pierced his throat. He looked at Liandra. Andra's eyes were full of shock and disbelief, the cut artery was splattered with blood, and the bloody mouth was still mumbling, but he was speechless, and then he fell. Only Leandra
Lothern's Triton Guards did not see Leandra, and no elf appeared in her sight again. She stayed like that in the ruins, wrapped in thick smoke and lying next to her mother, until the flames extinguished, leaving only messy ashes.
Leandra woke up suddenly with sweat all over her body, her face was twisted, and tears couldn't stop flowing from her eyes. She breathed deeply, trying to ease the pain. The air blowing through Athel Loren made the forest feel fresh. She sat up, and the sweat on her forehead slowly penetrated into her skin, leaving a clear mark.
Leandra looked around and found herself in a peaceful sea of trees, with soft moss underneath, and the clear blue sky shining dappled sunlight through the treetops. This gave her a sense of peace, in stark contrast to the nightmare she had just had. The fresh air of Athel Loren made her feel peaceful, as if she had found solace in the embrace of the forest. She took a deep breath, trying to free herself from the nightmare. Gradually, Leandra began to clear her thoughts and recall the dream just now.
"Mother..." The word came out of Leandra's mouth unknowingly. The images in the dream still lingered in Leandra's mind. The burning flames and the drowned corpse made her heart heavy. She couldn't help but rub her temples, trying to dispel the disturbing images. She had been dreaming more recently than ever before, and she knew that this dream seemed to be some kind of omen or premonition.
Leandra stood up and stepped onto the soft moss of the forest. The sun shone on her shoulders through the gaps in the leaves, warm and peaceful. But the uneasiness caused by the dream still lingers in her heart, and she plans to go to a Lilith shrine hidden deep in the forest to seek some enlightenment and comfort.
——
Although Gilead always retrieves his arrows at the end of a battle or hunt, he rarely finds them intact. Feathers were often missing and arrow shafts were often broken, forcing him to chop down a long, straight spruce branch.
After planing, grinding and oiling, a one-meter-two arrow shaft appeared in front of Gilead. He bent the arrow shaft again and again to check the toughness and strength of the arrow shaft. After checking, he reluctantly He handed the arrow shaft to Faithwell, because he knew that even if he measured it accurately with the naked eye, Faithwell would still check it again. As he expected, Fiswell took out the weights and gauges from his backpack and measured them with tools. Then the silent Fiswell handed the arrow shaft back to him.
Gilead took out a leaf-shaped arrowhead from his backpack. This arrowhead was carved from bones by Fiswell a hundred years ago. He used this arrowhead more for hunting than for fighting. The arrows had killed more beasts than he could remember. But not long ago, he used this arrow to shoot a human woman. Well... the woman was as thin as a rabbit, and the woman's armor was cleverly sewn together with various leather scraps.
This led Gilead to adopt the arrow. He disliked killing women, even those who could throw spears at moving targets or pounce on him with blades. When shooting at these women, he always preferred to use Smaller, thinner arrows. He found this arrowhead at the place of the battle. The arrow shaft was broken and the arrowhead was stained with blood. He estimated that the woman must have pulled out the arrow and ran away.
Due to the passage of time and transitional use, the bones on the arrowheads had shrunk a bit, and Gilead had to taper the ends of the shafts to accommodate the arrowheads. He kept processing it, and finally he took the feathers out of the bag and handed them to Faithwell.
After Fiswell took it, he cut and processed it with tools. Gilead, who looked at Fiswell, knew that Fiswell wanted to do something, such as teaching a young elf to become a warrior, not like what he is now, but of time. As time passed, he knew it was becoming more impossible, and it made him sad.
Gilead shook his head and continued to cut down the branches. He shot six arrows that day, and he got all the arrows back. Now he has to deal with other arrows. The hunter becomes the hunted as he shoots his arrows from the hidden corners of the lush trees. In his opinion, those humans who hunt humans should not receive such good treatment, but there is no way, he now has no conditions to obtain arrows suitable for him.
Now, Gilead is holding an Israma silver broadhead arrow in his hand. He rarely uses this precious arrowhead, but he has to use it because the prey he shot before with this arrowhead was heavily defended. The fact was just as he expected, the arrow completed its mission. The arrow penetrated the breastplate, chest and back of the prey, tearing the flesh and blood. He was not allowed to break the arrow and reinstall it.
With the help of Fiswell, Gilead continued to make arrowheads and shafts into arrows. Except for the broad-headed arrow, the other arrowheads were made of flint. That day he used these flint arrows to kill three young and one old humans. He didn't care about the blood relationship between the six humans who had turned from hunters to prey, and in his opinion, those humans all had the same appearance. They all have a broad, flat face.
Six hunters were chasing two young men. To Gilead, the two young men were just young men. They had wide eyes and were dirty. They were running as fast and as far as possible, while still holding hands. , the girl is behind the boy, and the boy running in front keeps encouraging the girl and not letting the girl let go.
Gilead spotted two young men far away, and when the two young men passed by him, they didn't even realize he was standing there. He didn't want to pay attention to it and continued walking down the slope. He found a carriage and five human corpses, each with fatal wounds on the head, throat and torso. Not far away from the carriage and the corpse were filled with human shouts, and he could feel the excitement and desire for killing from the sound.
Making six new arrow shafts and fixing the arrowheads, nocks, and fletchings took far longer than the time required to kill six prey, but Gilead chose to do it anyway because he thought he had honor. , and there are plenty of time elves.
Gilead put the arrows into the quiver, and wrapped the quiver and bow in his hood and cloak. After doing all this, he looked at the taciturn Fiswell, and at Fiswell who looked at him. After nodding, they continued to set off.
Fiswell, who was following Gilead, glanced at Gilead who was walking in front, then shook his head and sighed silently. He could feel the pain and suffering in Gilead's body.
Despite his age, Fishwell is still a highly skilled elven warrior, a veteran of many years of battle who is at ease with many foes. His skill with the sword is such that few humans can match him, and he can dodge and feint with grace, striking where his enemies least expect. In addition to being a warrior, he is an expert tracker and explorer, able to move through the dense forests of Erzin Alvin like a shadow without making any noise that would give away his identity and allow him to The prey is caught off guard and will not leave any traces that will expose him.
These skills of Fishwell saved Gilead's life many times, just as he saved his own life, and he was a strong support for Gilead, whose soul was hurt by the death of his twin brother. He may not remain as close to Gilead as his dead brother, but he still devotes his life to Gilead and takes on the tasks of Gilead's dead brother.
In battle, Fishwell and Gilead are almost integrated into each other, fighting in a coordinated and perfect manner. They do not need any words or signals at all during the battle. They can convey any amount of information through a brief glance or nod. They have a purpose and represent a force. Their relationship is no longer that of monarch and minister, or even that of companions. They are like two separate and distinct beings, but they are one.
Fishweir and Gilead are not Aenir, nor Asrai, nor Druch, but Asur, Assur living in Ersin Alvin. They lived in what is now the Border Princedom, a loose collection of small noble fiefdoms and bandit districts, separated from the empire by towering black mountains.
Many human beings who could not survive in the territory of the Lord and the Elector came to this lawless land with the longing for "a different way of life". However, what awaited them here was a life more dangerous than their homeland. , the small lords here are constantly at war with each other, and the bloodthirsty pirates of greenskins, ratmen, and Sartosa will frequently come to plunder their farmland.
Fishwell and Gilead live on this land, but they do not have contact with humans, but live in an ancient elven fortress. The fortress was called Tal Anroch by the Asur who lived there, and was also known as the Tower of Tal Anroch, a name in honor of the capital of Tyranrok that sank in the sea during the Sundering.
This ancient fortress is the home and stronghold of House Lothern, an elven family with a long history whose bloodline can be traced back to the second Phoenix King, Barshana. The fortress is hidden in the forests of the mountains, close to human settlements. Since the advent of humans, the Asur residents within the fortress have protected humans from threats and occasionally assisted humans in other ways. According to human legend, the supplicant must reach an extremely secluded pond with crystal clear water flanked by twenty stately larch trees. Once there, the supplicant asks the elves for help, and if his request is honest, the elves will help him. However, since Gilead and Fishwell left, there are no elven inhabitants there, and this place where wishes can be made no longer works.
The last member of House Lothain and the servant and companion Fishwell left the tower to the cruelty of time and the passage of time as he set out in search of more of his brethren. Although abandoned, much of the fort still stands today. Due to its ingenious design, the spire of the fort is difficult to see from the surrounding area. There is a human legend that says that there is only one night in every month, and the spire of Tal Anlok can only be seen when bathed in moonlight.
Either this legend among humans is false, or the magic hiding this fortress is on the verge of collapse and disappearing, because this fortress has stood here for thousands of years with its excellent strategic position overlooking the surrounding land and providing an excellent defensive position. , this fortress has experienced a battle of revenge and witnessed the changes of mankind.
Abandoned fortresses or abandoned ruins like the Tower of Tal Anlok are filled with Elsin Alvin. From time to time, humans will make new discoveries. For example, in the Bretonnian cities built on the basis of elven cities, occasionally Some elven treasures were found. The heirloom dragon bow of the elector family of Osterland in the Empire was found in the elven ruins.
Of course, in addition to elven ruins and relics, there are also some elven fortresses or strongholds that were still functioning before Gilead and Fishweil left. The isolated elves in these strongholds still call themselves Asur, and their members may be A few people, or dozens of people.
Before embarking on this fateful journey, Fiswell was a loyal servant and swordsman of House Lothain, and taught the Gilead twins the art of swordsmanship. Life inside the fortress was peaceful until Gilead's brother was kidnapped by a human gang and killed during the rescue attempt. The death of the Gilead brothers was a heavy blow to Gilead because the two brothers had a very strong bond, a bond that came from the soul and was blessed.
In the years that followed, Gilead worked to eliminate the gang and its elusive leader, as well as a group of loyal human followers. In the end, he succeeded, but the price was high. Apart from him, Fiswell was the only warrior to survive. When he returned to the Tower of Tal Anlok again, his father had passed away and the entire fortress was empty except for the two of them.
The worst thing is that although the revenge was completed, it did not heal the wounds in Gilead's soul. He was immersed in melancholy and drinking to drown his sorrows for a long time, until Fiswell proposed to find something to do. He was pulled out of the mire, and the two began to move around Ersin Alvin in search of any trace of their compatriots.
According to humans, Altdorf is the largest city in humanity. Fiswell knew that Altdorf also has a name, which is called Kor Vanas in the Elvish language. It is the territory of the Arsino family of the Kingdom of Caledor. Now, he and Fiswell are going to enter this human city and try to find traces and information of their compatriots.
——Nightlord
Castle in Krakarond, Naggaroth. The great Witch King Malekith, surrounded by Coran and Annasara on the left and right, was sitting on the throne in the hall on the first floor, leaning on his cheek. Looking at Druch who was kneeling and shivering below.
Malekith felt very irritated because the Druchi below was stumbling when he spoke, which made him feel confused, but he didn't want to do anything to this Druchi. In addition to passing the time, Druchi still had something in his hands. Holding the letter of introduction signed by the Darkus brothers.
Druch lying on the ground was none other than Drex, who had dealt with Darkus. After he separated from Darkus, he took advantage of the speed of the plundering ship to create a time difference. After learning the news that Ormskro, the capital of the Sali tribe, had been destroyed, he replenished his supplies and then left the Sea of Claws directly.
Delux, who was carrying large and small bags of loot, did not choose to dock at Kallond Kal, but sailed directly into the Sea of Resentment, heading straight for Krakarond. He just feels...regret. If he chooses to stop at Kalonde Kal and learns that the Witch King is now in the Castle of Kalonde Night Governor, he will not come even if he is killed.
Malekith was still patient, listening to Drex's story, listening to Drex and Darkus' encounter in Skjold, and listening to Drex's sight of Darkus after meeting him. The reaction of the team dressed in Asur's service, and the various things that happened to Darkus in Skjold, such as what happened when Darkus walked around the dwarf shop and the Seaman's Temple.
"Nos... dwarf? Interesting..." Malekith sneered. He could probably guess Darkus's intention through Drex's description. There is no doubt that this is paving the way for the future, otherwise he would be against Darkus. According to Keus' understanding, there is no need for Darkus to spend such a big effort.
"You just said that you did not dock at Kalonde Kal, but came directly to Krakaronde?" Then Malekith immediately thought of something and started to ask. In Nagaros, not only his intelligence network is very developed, but his mother's intelligence network is also very developed.
"Yes, yes... Your Majesty the Witch King." After all, Drex was a low-level mercenary captain before him. In front of him was the Witch King who ruled Nagaros. This was because he had heard of the Witch King's Hand, and the place where he met the Witch King's Hand was in Norsca.
"You did a great job, so where are your crew now?" Malekith asked again.
"Still... on board, waiting for news from me."
"Very good, very good. You and your crew will be treated very well." Malekith said as he stretched out his hand and snapped his fingers.
Annasara, who was standing behind Malekith, glanced at Coran. Coran showed a speechless expression after seeing her eyes.
Then Coran left. In his opinion, Anasara should have done this, but he knew that Anasara now wanted to hear about Darkus from Delux, so...
in Maleki It seemed to Si that Dellux could only do that much. He could guess that Delux's motive for not staying in Kalonde was simply that he was anxious to come to Clarkonde to seek rewards, and then he asked Delux to continue talking.
Malekith did not pay attention to the destruction of Ormskro. Instead, he focused on the trident obtained by Darkus. According to Drex's description, the trident was probably related to the Lord of the Abyss and Mara Seran related.
"Go down. After a while, you will set off with the fleet heading to the Lustria continent to complete the mission assigned to you by the Chief Consul. After that, you will stay there and obey the orders of the Night Governor and Valahar. And... you should know what to say and what not to say." After all, Malekith still didn't find out what was special about this Delex that could make Darkus favor him, but he didn't say anything, but Send Dellux away.
"How do you feel?"
"Your Majesty, I don't feel very good. I caught a lot of people like this in the house of flesh and blood at Clark Lund Pier. Maybe... he knew that route and dealt with those barbarians. The excellence that time showed, right?"
Malekith did not study in depth, but asked Annasara to summon the next audience.
This visitor is a bit heavyweight, because he is not Druch, but Asul, Asur from the Kingdom of Nagaris.
Malekith looked at Asur who was kneeling on the ground. The expression behind the midnight mask was constantly changing. He did not ask this or that, or any boring questions about how the Kingdom of Nagaryth was doing now. Compared to El Zin Alvin, Ulthuan's intelligence is very transparent. He knew everything about the Kingdom of Nagaryth, and he also knew who Assur was kneeling below.
This Asur named Kaldor is none other than the Coris family, which has a long history in the Kingdom of Nagaris. After experiencing the Great Schism and the Great Disintegration, Asur, who chose to stay in the Kingdom of Nagaryth, usually rarely used his family name, but instead used the name of a warrior, because the family name would be more or less connected with Druch. Together, the Asurs no longer rely on their own families, because they realize that only through their own strength can they win the objective evaluation of other Asurs.
But, just like the Druchi of Nagaros, some use nicknames to mingle with society, while others will proudly display their long family names and noble bloodlines. The Coris family is an outlier in the Kingdom of Nagaris, because its origins can be traced back to ancient times, before the great invasion. According to legend, this family is the descendant of the two chosen gods of Isha. These two powerful legendary heroes were given two magic swords forged by Val himself, called "Sinachian" and "Elre" respectively. An', each one is embedded with Isa's tears.
These two long swords with long history and legends have witnessed the Great Invasion, the Great Schism, the Great Disintegration, and the Duruchi's lasting invasion. Now the head of the Corris family is holding these two swords. The head of the family named Melenaar is an outstanding warrior and general. He actively responded to the last Druchi invasion. With his double swords and his strategic and leadership skills, he cooperated with the Shadow King and the people from Austria. The armies of various kingdoms in Su'an drove Druchi into the sea.
Malekith not only knew Melenar, who had caused him a lot of trouble, but he also knew more about Melenar and the Corris family. He knew that Melenar had twin sons. The elder of the twins was named Kaldor and the younger was named Caledan. According to prophecies and revelations, neither brother will die tragically, unless the brothers die at the hands of the other.
Melenaar was happy because he was sure that his sons would never become rivals, but Malekith was not happy!
The two brothers grew up in completely different ways. As the older brother, Kaldor became a hunter and warrior, leading the Coris family's army to defeat monsters from the crater and scattered Druchi invaders many times. At the same time, Caledan studied magic, politics, alchemy, and astrology at the White Tower of Hoth, as well as the swordsmanship with the Sword Masters of Hoth.
Kaldor and Caledan inherited the sword from their ancestors from their father when they came of age at the age of sixteen. Kaldor inherited Elrean, and Caledan inherited Sinakian.
Time passed quickly, and Melenaar designated the heir to the title of head of the Corris family. However, the chosen heir was not Kaldor as his elder brother, but Caledan as his younger brother. Well... there are many reasons. For example, Melenaar is surrounded by Druchi spies, which creates the general impression that Kaledan has more knowledge and is smarter.
Then... the rift was opened. As the elder brother, Kaldor felt that he had been betrayed. When his younger brother was studying in Savri, he had spent many years defending the family territory with his own life. He thought that he was the only one who He is the legal heir of the Corris family. Due to various factors, Kaldor's pain and hatred led him to increasingly despise his brother, believing Kaledan to be a usurper.
Finally, the Druchi spy lurking in the Corris family gave Kaldor a fairy guide and pointed the way to the cold Nagaroth. Unable to bear it anymore, he brought a group of followers who were still willing to follow him. Departed by boat.
Malekith knew Kaledan had cried over Kaldor's departure, but that didn't matter. The important thing is that with the green light all the way, Kaldor and his followers came to Karlond Kal and then to Krakarond.
"I, Kaldor Corris, would like to sacrifice my soul to you. Great Witch-King, I will be unconditionally loyal to you. My heart will sway with your will, and my hands will execute your will." Order, no matter when or where." Facing the Witch King, Kaldor's eyes flashed with a shadow, as if the power of darkness quietly awakened in his heart. He raised his head and looked at the Witch King, swearing in a low and hoarse voice.
There is an unspeakable indifference and hatred in Kaldor's oath, as if he has transcended the so-called boundary between good and evil and completed the transformation from Asur to Druch.
Malekith listened quietly, a proud smile on his face behind the mask.
"I, Kaldor Corris, swear that no matter how deep the night is, no matter how dim the hope, I will find strength in the shadows of darkness and be your loyal enforcer. My blade will cut through the dawn and bring you The endless fear of the world. Your great Majesty the Witch-King, your will is my command, and I will drive you until the world sinks into endless darkness."
Kaldor's oath echoed in the empty halls of Night Governor Castle, Like a strange melody, reverberating in the air, announcing his transformation from Asul to Druch. From this moment on, he became Malekith's loyal servant. The air around him seemed to freeze, and a shadow enveloped him.
"Not every family in this world is like the Herban family. Ah~ my dear Anasara, remember this lesson." After Kaldor retreated, Malekith was still looking in the direction Kaldor left. , Anasara said with a smile, showing disdain and disgust.
The core is about the three kingdoms west of Ulthuan, but it's a bit abstract.