Year 16

*Emma and Katrina walk into Willowcreek, a small Town with a thick fog surrounding half of it. As the enter town they find an tavern. Inside as they ask about rooms Keya walks up behind Emma. As Keya hops towards Emma, Emma turns her head.*

Emma: Can I help you?

Keya: Aw, I didn’t think you’d notice me so quickly.

*The sisters hug then sit down at a table.*

Emma: Katrina this is Keya. Keya this is my friend Katrina. Valorin’s niece.

*Keya stretches across the table using her hands to support herself.*

Keya: What is he like as an uncle?

Katrina: I don’t know how to answer that.*nervous laugh*

Emma: She’s been a fan of him as long as I can remember.

Katrina: OH! That makes more sense.

Emma: So, was there a reason for the visit or did you just miss me?

Keya: A bit of both. I’m in the area for a quest and wanted to see you.

Emma: I’ll help only if you come visit Ariella and meet our new member Ruddy.

Keya: Sure! I was gonna stop by if you didn’t make it And I figure it was your birthday a week ago.

Emma: Oh it was?

Keya: According to dad anyway.

*Both laugh*

Katrina: It’s still weird to me to not know you’re own birthday.

Emma: So what’s the quest?

*Keya pulls out quest poster and puts it on the table.*

Emma: Ghouls?

Keya: Yeah, we have to find the source and destroy it. We can head out tomorrow morning if that works for you two?

*Emma and Katrina both agree.*

*The next morning The group is following a trail in the fog, marked with torches.Keya have a hammer and Katrina is equipped with a sword.*

Emma: So where’s your party?

Keya: They all wanted to take some time off after reaching ‘C’ Rank. I told Dad I’d be going out here and he told me to reach out to you.

Emma: I need to respond to him when we get back to the Falls. I told him I might be a while.

Keya: You should plan a time to visit him in the next 5 years or so or so.

Emma: We’ve talked about it before but he always says it’s really busy and he wouldn’t be able to see me.

Keya: Yeah, Queen Seraphina has him working as an instructor now.

Katrina: Wait your dad knows the Queen of elves?

Emma: Oh, I haven’t told them yet.*Looks at Keya*

Keya: Oops. *Laughs*

Emma: Ariella is one of the elven princesses as well.

Katrina: Wait. What!

Keya: Shhh.

Katrina: Sorry, How have neither of you told me this before? Wait, am I in danger now that I know?

Keya: No, because Elven royalty works differently from other races. If a queen passes a new queen will be born after, The last royal family will hold the capital until The new queen is born.

Katrina: How would you know who the new queen is?

Emma: We don’t know. Our current queen is over 3000 years old.

Keya: She’s our third queen. So most of the public doesn’t know.

Katrina: I wonder if Ariella knows?

*Emma spots 2 ghouls up ahead. The ghouls begin looking up and sniffing. They look over at the three and start running forward. Keya swings her hammer into one sending it into a tree, The sound of its bones crunch. Katrina swings her sword at the other ghoul. The ghoul unfazed by the sword swipes at Katrina. Emma throws a knife hitting the Ghoul in the right arm. Its arm dissolves, It's skin bubbles like acid bone and all, falling off. As the ghoul goes to swipe at Katrina again she swings around and cleaves the head off the ghoul. The ghoul from the tree stands up and charges Keya. Keya slams the Down the Hammer, crushing the ghoul. Emma throws a knife into the ghouls head and it dissolves.*

Keya: How many more holy knives do we have?

Emma: We have enough to fight another group before heading back to town for the night.

* At the tavern the girls are celebrating their day of work. Keya watches as a couple of younger guys walks by then turns to back to face the group.*

Keya: So Emma, Have a boyfriend yet?

Emma: I get enough of this from Ariella. No, I’ve got to much to think about dating.

Keya:*Laughs* I’m just teasing.

Katrina: What about you?

Keya: Me? No one special, doesn’t mean I haven’t played around though.

*Keya turns towards Katrina.*

Keya: Your turn Katrina.

Katrina: *Blushes* They live out east, we grew up together and still write everyday.

Emma: Have I met him?

Katrina: Nope, He and his family have a store in the Demon capital.

Emma: I’ve only spent most my time skirting the borders of elven territories. Maybe I should go see the sights before it all changes.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Katrina: Changes?

Emma: Well if I live for 1000 years at least, I’m sure it’ll all be different. I’m interested in watching it all.

Katrina: I think that’s just an elven thing. *chuckles* Every elf I’ve met says something similar.

Keya: I keep a beastkin in the party so we can keep track of the date.

Emma: Yeah. Talking to Ruddy I’ve realized, I don’t really think about events other than natural ones like the sky lights and seasons.

Katrina: Yet I think about anniversaries of historical events. Including birthdays and new years, Demon’s also celebrate a day in the summer dedicated to our god.

Emma: Would you wanna join me if I go visit Inferna(Demon territory)?

Katrina: Sure! Would Ariella be able to go?

Emma: We can get her a ring of disguise. We’ve talked about it for when we visit Glimmerfell(Gnome country.)

Keya: why are you going there?

Emma: We decided to go visit countries by their average height.

*Keya and Katrina laugh*

Katrina: I love it.

Keya: Why do I feel that was Ariella's plan?

Emma: because I wanted to visit Lycaris(Beastkin) which on average are shorter than humans, She wanted to start with gnomes because of their theater’s.

Katrina: And since dwarves(Mithrun) are technically closer to gnome’s than humans.

Emma: Correct and then Humans(Valoria) end up being closer to Dwarves than beastkin.

Keya: But then you have to cross the Inferna to reach Lycaris.

Emma: That’s why we decided on height, it was easier to explain and made more sense.

Keya: Elwin and them live somewhere in Valoria You should go visit when you do.

Emma: who?

Keya: Uncle Rydel, aunt Nala and our cousin Elwin. I guess you were two.

Emma: I’m sure they’d like to see me even though I can't remember them. Ariella and I figured a decade in each territory. We want to reach ‘C’ Rank beforehand.

Keya: Are you still ‘E’?

Emma: Oh, I forgot to tell you! While I’m here I’m investigating a disappearance in the town.

Keya and Katrina: Emma!

Emma: I’m supposed to meet the person who submitted the request here tomorrow.

Keya: Okay so you didn’t just blow it off, good..

Katrina: She didn’t even tell me about it.

*The next day Emma meets with a Human male ,Thomas, he tells her the person disappeared in an old abandoned build northwest of the town. Katrina and Keya go fight ghouls while Emma goes to investigate. When Emma reaches the building the fog clears just enough to show a house, she enters the ruined building finding a door leading underground and goes in. Below Lily climbs on top of Emma’s head they use sightshare to look around the room with Lily’s natural night vision. They follow a tunnel for a bit when they find a room. Upon entering the room they see a body strapped to a table as if someone was doing experiments on someone. The door leading out is heard closing in the distance and a male voice is heard getting closer.*

Voice: Looks like my next patient has made it to the waiting room!

*Emma enters stealth and peaks around the door she quickly retracks her head as a blade flies across the room and stick into the wall. Thomas is now standing in the doorway staring at the two.*

Thomas: Come on Emma, I promise it won’t hurt if you just sit down.

*Emma draws both her blades and Lily returns to her hiding spot on Emma.*

Thomas: Don’t make things difficult, I’ve never had the chance to work on an elf before.

*Thomas unsheathes a sword and Emma strikes at him. He continues to back her in a corner as she strikes at him time and time again. Thomas blocks all her attacks effortlessly until she feels the wall press up against her.*

Thomas: No where else to go.

*Emma gives a look of terror and collapses to the floor, as Thomas gets closer she uses shadowstep to get behind him. She slashes at his back. As Thomas turns around and rights himself Emma notices, he's completely unharmed.*

Thomas: Those little things won’t hurt me. You see, I was cursed. My heart was removed, but now I don’t get tired unless I die. Sure I don’t get sleep, But HEY! Now no one can stop my experiments.

*Emma stomps the ground making a stone wall imprisoning Thomas. She quickly climbs out of the tunnel and as she stands up, Thomas breaks through the ground.*

Thomas: Nothing to say?

*Thomas Grabs Emma by the hair and injects her with a serum, she quickly loses consciousness. Thomas starts dragging Emma when Lily appears and jumps at him. Before lily reaches Thomas he holds up Emma and put another needle up to her.*

Thomas: I wouldn’t move if I were you. I’d rather not lose my plaything just yet, but, I’m not letting her live either.

*Thomas starts to laugh maniacally as he slowing backs up towards the basement. A large rock slams into the entrances knocking Thomas and Emma over. Lily runs over to emma and sees a Large male Beastkin walking out of the fog, He walks over to Emma and Lily. Lily hisses at him, He places a potion down and walks towards Thomas.*

Thomas: Who the hell are you? Do you know how long!..

*The beastkin punches Thomas in the stomach, he coughs blood and passes out and the beastkin carries him away.*

A couple hours later

Lily: Momma! Drink this.

*Lily nudges the bottle to Emma and helps her drink it.*

Katrina: She’s over here!

*Katrina runs over from the road. Keya runs past and holds Emma tight.*

Keya: Emma! I thought I lost you! *Crying*

Emma: I’m fine, I just needed to rest.

*Emma holds her chest in pain.*

Emma: What happened?

*Lily tells Emma what happened and she tells the others.*

Katrina: You’re okay though?

Emma: Yeah, Just some broken bones, I’ll survive.*Cough* I wonder who that guy was?

Keya: I’ve heard of that guy before, rumor is his words are cursed so he never speaks.

Emma: I’ll have to thank him if we meet again.

Keya: That’s part of the rumors too. He never appears more than 3 times a year.

Katrina: Then how is he so well known?

Emma: Ignore her. She’s a rumor mill herself. Give her five minutes and she'll have an entire prelude about him.

*Emma laughs then holds her chest and after getting some more rest the three head back to town.

*The next day the three head back to the whispering falls, where Emma turns in the quest to the guild, after getting her promotion and the morning after, Keya and Emma head to the church where to meet Ruddy.*

Ruddy: Emma! You’re back I hope the gods were kind on your quest?

Emma: It’s a long story I’ll tell you and Ariella later. But, This is my sister Keya. Keya, this is Ruddy.

Keya: I’m sorry for any trouble she’s got you into.

Ruddy: *Laughs* It’s fine, she’s a very reliable party member.

Keya: So she bribed you it’s okay Ariella will tell me later.*Grins*

Emma: Ignore her Ruddy. Actually since we are here, Keya lets check our magic levels!

Keya: I guarantee I’m still higher.

Emma: You started early.

*Ruddy laughs and brings them to a Testing sphere Keya goes first*

Keya: 712.

Ruddy: That’s amazing. I heard elves had high magic levels.

Emma: Yes, but after 500 it mostly just extends the duration of spells, we still have to train just as hard.

*Emma put’s her hand on the sphere.*

Emma: 274. From what I’ve read I think without training that amounts to 57 for humans.

*Ruddy places his hand on the sphere.*

Ruddy: This is my point Emma, mines only 36. And that’s considered high still for my age.

Keya: We were trained by one of the captains in the Elven army.

Emma: I was trained by an ‘A’ class Adventurer with Ariella.

Keya: Don’t rub it in.

Ruddy: I don’t think that quite makes up for those numbers. But, hey we should head over to the guild. I think Ariella should be back soon.

Emma: Oh did she complete her promotion yet?

*The three head to the guild where Ariella is sitting down, waving at the group. Everyone shows off their new rank cards.*

Ariella: One more and we can start our trip. Are you gonna join us Ruddy?

Ruddy: A decade in each country? I’d be old and grey by the time we got back home.

Emma: why not join us until we get to Valoria. Then you can retire and have a kid and we can take them with us.

*Everyone laughs.*

Ruddy: I don’t think life is that convenient. I’ll join you until my body gives out or the gods tell me to rest.

Emma:*whispers to keya* That’s church speak for death or retirement.

Keya:*Whispers* That makes sense.

Ruddy:*irritated* Yes, Exactly! I was trying to make it sound more formal.

Ariella: There he is! Fuddy is here.

Keya: Fuddy?

Ruddy: Stop calling me that.

Emma: Ruddy is Rude, Fuddy is Fun. That was her logic behind it. He loosens up when you make fun of his fumbles.

Ariella: Still a simple yes would’ve been fine.

*Everyone laughs*