Deep within the Greenlands forest, Cobble is making his way on a path that is filled with tree roots and shrubbery filled with thorns. He was trying his best not to trip or maintain injuries so no one would question his injuries back at the village. The reason for his journey is he was meeting someone who had given special instructions as to how they could find them. The instructions were as followed:
“Meet me where the moon shows my reflection.”
Cobble knew this meant he had to meet this mysterious figure by the river which was ways away from the village. Bugs and several different creatures sang their melody of sounds among the trees and bushes. Cobble soon approached the river due to hearing the flowing of a gentle stream. As he finally emerged from the final brush, the river stood in front of him. The moon’s rays were glittering in the water. A tall figure stood directly in the middle of the river. Their ears pointed, his skin the color of stone and his garb was uniquely colored. The figure’s hair blended with the pale moon’s rays and he just stood peacefully in the water.
“What are yee doing Elyce? Aye…don’t think I will be taking a dip with ya.” The figure slowly turned, and water began to ripple with each motion Elyce made. Now fully turned, a huge maniacal grin spread across Elyce’s face. His red eyes glinted with mischief.
“Oh, you dwarves are so cute. Don’t flatter yourself…although does that interest you Cobble Wobbles?” Elyce chuckled a bit and his voice had a playful tone to it as he teased the dwarf.
“I will let you revel in your own nonsense no longer. For a dark elf, yee sure don’t take anything seriously. I need to have a word with yee.”
Elyce got out of the river and with a snap of his fingers, his clothes were instantly dried. Elyce knew a plethora of spells and sorcery being a user of dark magic. This came with being a dark elf.
“Oh, lighten up would you Cobble Wobbles? Everything is always so cutthroat with you.”
Cobble furrowed his burrows and placed the right palm of his hand on his forehead to show that he was irritated yet defeated. He released a sigh and looked up at Elyce with his face not as tense.
“Please can we drop the Wobbles part? This is serious, we need to make this plan happen a lot sooner than I was expecting.”
Elyce smirked and playfully did a jig around the dwarf like he was at a village celebration. His giggles turned into roaring laughter. Cobble was confused by Elyce’s actions but decided not to react. Elyce stopped dancing and his back was turned, staring up at the moon once more.
“You know Cobble, you could play around with me sometimes. Your serious act gets dull after a while. I did bring something that could put the plan in motion. It will definitely stir up some chaos!”
Cobble, curious as to what Elyce was implying, scratched his beard and walked next to Elyce. Cobble joined Elyce by staring up at the moon, admiring the pale glow. Suddenly, a noise erupted from some bushes nearby the river. The noises consisted of babbling sounds and whining that seemed familiar but also unknown. The small rustling implied that this creature or human was not very tall.
“It seems the little snot has woken up.” Elyce pranced over to the bushes and pulled out something that stunned Cobble.
“Is that…?” Cobble stammered, still bewildered by what he was staring at.
“That’s right Cobble, this here is a royal Elven baby. I stole this bugger from the kingdom in Bveria. It was quite simple really, someone of my magic prowess easily snuck in. It was quite sad really how easy it was.”
The elven baby giggled at the sight of Elyce and Elyce waved his finger in the baby’s face to keep it entertained and happy.
“I wanted to stir up something truly diabolical, but this certainly is something I was not expecting from you! How do you even go into the elven kingdom undetected. They will surely want war once they catch wind that dwarves were involved!” Cobble tripped over a rock in astonishment of this. He sat on the ground, debating now what to do with this sudden newfound addition to the plan.
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“Simple Cobble Wobbles, I shape shifted into someone of royalty and they just let me barge on in. I made up some silly name and stated how I was starting a new kingdom further out North, and they just fell for it. I went in for months building rapport and trust and soon enough, I attended their celebration for the birthing of their child and POOF! I swooped in and stole the baby. This is bound to start some sort of something.” Elyce began to spin the baby slowly with a spell which caused the baby to levitate in the air. The baby giggled at being spun in a slow circular motion.
“You know, for elves, they certainly are a little weak minded. Kinda like you dwarves. So gullible and foolish.”
Cobble stopped pacing and gave Elyce a cold stare. His face slowly filled with rage at the statement and Elyce began to chuckle a bit. The baby was slowly revolving around Cobble now and Elyce just seemed to be teasing Cobble once more.
“Aren’t yee an elf too? Watch your tongue about us dwarves. Not all of us are as thick headed as you think.”
Elyce again began to chuckle and levitated the baby back towards him. Elyce walked toward Cobble and bent down to his level.
“You better watch your tone as well because I could make this plan burn to hell and tell your father in dwarf form your plan. Do not think you can threaten me Cobble, I do not need to be treated as though I am a child.”
Cobble scoffed at Elyce’s words, but his threat resonated in the pit of his stomach. The fear of an all magical being able to control his fate sent a twinge of fear into him.
“Catch!” Elyce shouted and soon a baby had flown into Cobbles’ hands unexpectedly.
“Aye, be careful! We need this stupid being for the plan. I could’ve dropped it without knowing!”
Elyce teleported behind Cobble and ran his hands through the dwarves’ locks of light brown hair.
“Aye, what do you think you’re doing? I would prefer a womanly touch more than yee lad.”
Elyce whispered in Cobble’s ear. “Oooh come now, only a man knows what another man wants.”
Cobble backed away, swatting Elyce away as though he was some sort of bug. Elyce giggled at the dwarves’ clear discomfort and levitated into a lounging position.
“So, what is your plan Cobble? What did you have in mind? I assume you will need my expertise further.”
Cobble’s face soon formed into a maniacal grin as his plan rushed into his mind. His giddiness was like that of a child who was about to consume a sweet treat. The baby gently began to play with Cobble’s long beard while he began to state his plan to Elyce.
“Well, now that we have this little being, I actually have something in mind. My brother; Winthorp, knowing him, would want to protect this baby. Everyone in my village would want to be rid of this thing due to it being an elf. My brother’s heart may be strong for people, but it certainly is a weakness I can exploit. Everyone will turn against my brother for wanting to keep the baby and view this as a curse that the elven baby is even around us. That’s when you come in and set the village ablaze. Then it would be all Winthorp’s fault for bringing this “curse” into our village. My idiot father will try to save everyone in the village as blazing flames spread and that’s when I finish him off in the midst of the smoke from the fire spreading.”
Cobble then takes out a long sword from a sheath he had equipped to his back. He looked at the silver blade as it glimmered in the moonlight. The baby looked and admired the blade as well, amazed to see something it had never seen before. Elyce floated toward the blade and added onto the plan.
“Well, well, I do say, I like the way you think. Maybe you are smarter than I thought. Why don’t we add onto this? How about I shapeshift into one of you dwarves and run in with the tiny thing. I could emphasize how much of a curse this is and such. How this tiny being appeared out of thin air. As if a sign to begin a war.”
Cobble began to twist his beard as thought about the words Elyce just stated. His face lit up with the pleasure of those further suffering in the future of this horrid plot.
“Yes, I like this plan. You come storming in with this baby and you take care of the rest. I will end my father’s life in the midst of the flames. My father will soon regret not making me heir to the village. All these years of enforcing strict training procedures, making them tools for war and trying to make them realize emotions are meaningless. They say I don’t have heart, but what good does heart get you when you are placed in mortal danger? Yee has to kill in an instant without any doubts! Everyone’s happy drunken simple days in the village will soon be in devastation and fear! Begging for my strategies all this time!”
Elyce began clapping and laughing with sick pleasure. Cobble handed Elyce the baby and began to walk back toward the path to his village. Before he did so however, he turned to Elyce who was still in midair holding the baby.
“Yee should come in with the baby midday tomorrow and then the next evening, set the whole village ablaze. Understood?”
Elyce nodded and Cobble began his journey through the rough greenery back home. With newfound confidence in his plan, Cobble felt he would finally obtain the power he always strived for.