El Hado

Chapter 1 Thalion Darkbane

I died. Then was reincarnated.The story of my death in my previous life is irrelevant, for now. 

For I must focus on what to do to survive my second life so as to be able to achieve my goal/s. 

And I will tell you how "fate" has played with me or rather "US".

I died as William Marshall, also known as Billy, in my previous life, on Earth. I don't know what "life" after death will be. And on the last moments of my life I thought it was the end, but it was just a start of a new beginning. My "soul" left my body for the Immaterium. 

As I traveled on a river like void, I would hear many sorrowful wails, but there were also many joyous and evil laughters. I could feel the pain of others. Their happiness. Their desperations. Their plights. I could feel them so strongly. But I did not get them from this river of souls. But from those of the living, on Earth. The strongest that I felt was that of sorrow. But I did not know who it was. The feeling is so strong that I too, started to wail like these other spirits.

My, as well as other's wailing stopped when "our" river of souls met up with one another. 

The souls on this other river were kinda different. Yes I can also see many animals' soul that were with us on our river. But the new souls we saw were still different. Back on Earth, we could say, like aliens or extra terrestrial. They too were just as surprise as we are to know there were other life forms out there. It is already speculated on Earth, but still... "To see is to believe". 

Soon we would just think nothing of it and just flow along the river.

At the end of our journey, I could see a massive ball of something. I could not make out what it was made of but I can pretty much guess. The mass is glowing light and dark at the same time. Maybe there really is no Heaven or Hell. I could feel an ominous feeling from it, but at the same time it was also calming. Then it dawned upon me. Maybe life and death is just but a cycle. You're born to experience life, and at the end, death. Then back to the beginning again. Now I wondered if I ever really lived another life before. Of how many lives I have already lived, how did I die on my previous lives. What have I been in my previous lives? Am I an alien before? Of course I do not know. Because I have no recollection of it. But maybe that was also a part of the process. New clean sheet for a new life. So that your present life would not be affected by your past lives. But then again, there are monks that was said to have lived before they were born again and got back to the monasteries to "continue" what they were doing. To spiritually ascend to the heavens. I, of course did not believe that. But now I believe, but how were they able to retain some of their memories? Maybe because they are spiritually transcending? Who knows? I stopped dwelling into that matter as we were drawing closer to the ball of mass.

I felt afraid yet calmed that time. When I went inside, it all went dark, pitch black dark. Then I got scared, really really scared that time. I don't know what's gonna happen anymore. I just let fate do its works.

It was almost a standard year in that darkness. But I still felt calmness, safe and sound. I felt warm, I felt the warmth of love. But most of all, I felt that I was not alone in this darkness. Somehow that made me happy. 

Until I felt so uncomfortable, so painful, my head. It felt like I was being crushed. The pressure crushing my head. But it all went away when I finally saw some light. Though it still dark, that darkness when you close your eyes when there's still lights on. But I still felt uncomfortable that time. Suddenly I gasped for air. I never thought I was not even breathing before. A thought came upon me, 'So this is how babies would feel?'. I was born. I want to see my parents but I cannot quite open my eyes yet.

I could no longer perceive the time. I can only wait. And wait I did. There is still days and nights. I still thought that time that I was on Earth. But I also have my doubts then, as I have also seen other, who might be, sentient beings. But still I hoped. When I opened my eyes, I now know I am not on Earth. 

My parents, they kinda still looked like humans, though really really really beautiful humans. 

The only difference really is their ears, a bit pointy at the top. The first thought was Elves. 

I'm a LOTR and The Hobbit fan. And Warhammer: 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy fan too. So I know what an elf looks like. 

And then I wondered if some of our European ancestors were once elves in their previous lives. 

And then they retained some memories perceived as dreams, precognition or prophecies 

that would make of folklores of what I know back on Earth. But it still comes as a surprise to me.

I was happy. 

New life. 

I could forget all of the past and live a happy life here on this new world I am in. 

See what this world has to offer. I could forget it all now. 

But then suddenly things happened. I was still not able to go outside obviously. But I could feel the fear and urgency of my parents. My surrounding got noisy. The bell outside rung nonstop. I could barely hear the noise from outside but I know the village/town/city, or wherever the hell we are, was in a panic.

My mother and me went outside. Now I can see outside. I was blinded by the bright sun or star, whatever. I can see the medieval-esque buildings. The armor wearing soldiers. So I concurred that the technology here is lagging behind, so far behind, to Earth.

My mother ran to a massive building, then again I'm only a tiny infant so everything is massive for me. Even the other elves who were running to the same place we are. 

The town was besieged, I did not know who or what. But the siege lasted only for a couple of moments. I am glad my father and other elves dressed for battle got back safely along with the other figures that I am too familiar with, Humans. So there are Humans too here on this planet. Even here they are as warmongers as they can get. Just like back on Earth, humans killing humans. 

Hypocrite creatures they are. You can never trust a human. I made sure to remember that.

The leader or general of the humans then told something to my fellow elves. But I could not even understand my parents' language no less than the human language here.

As soon as that general left, I could hear sighs of relief from my mother and my fellow elves. 

The town was conquered. I thought it would end in a bloody battle that time. I feared for my parents and my fellow elves lives there, and especially for myself who's barely out of the world. Thankfully the general is not as cruel as I thought he would be.Long story short, after the town was conquered, all of us elves became Krevell Kingdom's subjects. We still consider ourselves lucky for we were not sent into slavery.

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Ten years have passed since then...

I am named Thalion Darkbane. And I am 10 years of age now.

So basic knowledge first. Apparently the name of this world is Oren, named after Orena the Goddess of Creation.

Days and nights here is longer by 3 hours. A day here would be 30 standard Earth hours. A week would be 6 days. A month would be 4 weeks. A year 14 months.

I learned both elven and human language. But we were prohibited in speaking elven tongue outside our houses. I also learned that we are High Elves of the elven race. The elven race consist of three main race: us, High Elves, the Dark Elves and the Wood Elves. There are other elven half-ling race mainly called the Blood Elves, these are half elves and half other race.

And according to my parents there are more races like Dwarves, Orks, Goblins, Ogryns, Gnomes and many much more. So basically this is a world of fantasy.

Seems like this world is much more larger than I can imagine. And a proof to that is there are still undiscovered lands. But let us leave that for later.

The town's name is Hya Alora.

Erected behind a grove, the village of Hya Alora was home to us high elves until it was conquered by the humans. This village wasn't built by a grove by accident, as it has natural defences, which is of great importance to the people of Hya Alora and its success.

But it still succumb to the numbers of the human army.

The village itself looks delightful. With its cypress wood rooftops, ironwood walls and calm and quiet collection of ponds, Hya Alora has a heavenly atmosphere. The main attraction is the wishing well, which was built 24 years ago and designed by the high elves.

Hya Alora has a thriving economy, which is mainly supported by fletching, herbalism, crafting and hunting. But their biggest strengths are skilled fighters and gorgeous leatherworking.

However, Hya Alora lacks people skilled in armorsmithing.

Baron Asher 'the Benevolent' Geffray was given lordship of this town and its sovereign land after he peacefully negotiated with the former Minister Thalanil of Hya Alora. Ruling this town with benevolence.

And since then, many immigrant humans migrated to this small town.

Baron Geffray is a subject of the Krevell Kingdom. Krevell Kingdom is just one of the Human kingdoms in the continent of Klederon. Klederon is a continent shared by a three major race: the humans who have the most territories by conquering many of the Elven lands; the Dwarves, allied to the humans, rules kingdoms under the mountains, though they still have villages and towns in the plains for agricltural purposes; then the Elven lands, most of the elven territories were lost to war against the humans and the dwarves.

Once a mighty Elven Empire ruled over the whole continent. That empire crumbled once the humans mustered enough strength to oppose them, which the dwarves followed suit. Other than those three races, there are the Ogryns, also subjects to many human nations.

I learned many of this literature things from mister Thalanil as I have always come and visit him since I was a toddler.

He had collection of books so I would ask him to read it to me. Then later he would give them to Ilyana, my mother. And my mother would read the books to me as a bed time stories.

Since magic has been outlawed for elves, my mother would teach me in secret in our basement.

While I learned many physical labors from Druindar, my father. He taught me hunting, skinning, leather-working and many survival skills. He's a skilled hunter.

There is a small academy in town actually. But elven youths are not allowed. This academy is the breeding ground for human mages and wizards. Using magic for were outlawed for the elves because of this academy.

Lord Asher actually did not like banning the elves from using magic. But the Arcmage in charge of the Academy in the town insisted. And arcmages holds strong authority inside the kingdom. Most of the King's advisers were strong arcmages.

But of course outlawing the use and practice of magics on us Elves did not really stop us from learning and practicing. Though we would need to be careful not to get caught by the prying eyes of these human mages and wizards.

On that span of 10 years, I was able to learn "basic" magic. Mum taught me simple support magic, mostly Light and Water Spells. Light spells focuses more on healing. Water spells also has healing capabilities, but not as efficient as of light spells. Mum was an average priestess if I would say so. While father taught me physical labors. Such as skinning, deboning and leather working. My father is a skilled hunter.

And today, we are going hunting, me and my father.

Lord Geffray allowed the Elves to still be able to wield their bows for hunting was where most of the income of the town came from. Elves are not as proficient in farming as humans does. Elves mostly rely on hunting and gathering. They use their magics to make the trees in the forest grow fruits much more faster than normal. But ever since the humans conquered them and outlawed magic, the elves can no longer the gather fruits like they did before.

And because of this, the elves refrained from leaving the Hya Alora.

After our hunt, we head home. We were able to get games like rabbits(seems like Oren is Earth-like too eh), the size of a dog; and birds.

Father let me do all the dirty work, skinning the rabbits, deboning it and then prepared it for later for tanning.

The day went through just like that.

After we had our dinner, I did the dishes and then read some more books in my room while I lay on my bed. I have fallen asleep after reading books.

Deep in my sleep, I dreamed. A dreadful dream. Two souls wailed and their wails was tearing through my ear and ripping my head apart. Then I saw these demonic entity taking hold of the poor souls. Anguish. Anger.

I woke up in the middle of the night. Sweating so much even though it is perfectly a cold night. Revenge. I want vengeance. But it's impossible. I can't do anything about me wanting revenge. So I'll just go back to sleep. Tomorrow, new day, new life... I hope.

To be continued..