Chapter One: The Day I Die<\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she sprinted forth, weaving around tall, sturdy trees.\u00a0 An agonizing cry far behind her lent itself to that terrible cacophony.\u00a0 High above, a haze obscured the sun, leaving the forest eerily dismal.<\/p>\n
Venathryn braced herself against the tree trunk, steadying her breaths.\u00a0 The terse, deep voices of those in pursuit stole that brief respite from her.\u00a0 She clasped her hand over her lips and looked to the sky for some measure of hope.<\/p>\n
A slow approach resounded in the leaves behind her.\u00a0 A series of low grunts could just be heard between each step.<\/p>\n
The elf let her hand slide toward her hip, where the hilt of a dagger was waiting for her.\u00a0 A subtle scrape announced the blade\u2019s escape from the cover.<\/p>\n
She let a silent, hollow sigh fly from her lips, and bowed her head.\u00a0 A pivot around the tree showed her pursuer.\u00a0 The goblin stood nearly as tall as she, yet its broad body reminded her more of a dwarf.\u00a0 His pale green skin would have blended well with the forest earlier in the year.\u00a0 There was no denying his presence then.<\/p>\n
His mouth parted and his eyes opened wide.\u00a0 Venathryn lunged at her foe, the tip of that dagger shrieking forward.<\/p>\n
The goblin brushed the blade aside, but it was too late.\u00a0 It drove into the flesh of his shoulder, inciting an angry growl.\u00a0 Gnashing her teeth together, the elf maiden dragged the weapon out and drove it forth once more.<\/p>\n
Her foe was ready that time.\u00a0 He caught the maiden\u2019s slender wrist in his calloused hand, and wrenched her to the side.\u00a0 She yelped as the dagger bobbled from her fingers.<\/p>\n
There was little time to lament that loss.\u00a0 With unbridled rage, her opponent lashed out with his free arm, his heavy hand striking her face.<\/p>\n
Venathryn stumbled backward, the autumn breeze setting that strike afire.\u00a0 Tears were instantly in her eyes, but they didn\u2019t veil the approach of her foe.\u00a0 His hand fell just below her throat, swinging her back into the tree that had been her sanctuary.\u00a0 She struck the sturdy trunk with enough force to send the air rushing from her lungs.<\/p>\n
That furious pain in her abdomen had her seeing spots.\u00a0 The elf knew what was at stake though.\u00a0 A loud scrape resounded as the goblin ripped his saber from its scabbard.\u00a0 Though the maiden was weary, she was also frightened.\u00a0 She reached for the bracer on her forearm, desperately fumbling with the leather armor.\u00a0 A tiny knife slipped out from there, but just shy of her fingers.<\/p>\n
The goblin\u2019s sword was drawn.\u00a0 With his brow falling upon his jaundiced eyes, he sent a slavering snarl at his foe.\u00a0 Venathryn could feel the shivers slithering down her spine.<\/p>\n
A loud thwack<\/i> echoed out as the sword struck the tree.\u00a0 The elf was no longer there, gone before the goblin\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 Dry, dead leaves spun upward in a sudden cyclone, casting aside in every direction.<\/p>\n
Shuddering, the goblin felt a cool breeze run up his back.\u00a0 He looked over his shoulder just in time to see the maiden leap forth.<\/p>\n
Though her knife was small, it was sharp enough to carve a spot within his neck.\u00a0 She roared, ripping it across until it struck the prominence in his throat.<\/p>\n
Twisting and bending, the goblin threw her from his back, landing her on the ground several yards away.\u00a0 Adrenaline coursing through her, Venathryn rolled and skittered to her feet.<\/p>\n
Her opponent stomped forward, his large, pronounced teeth prating just far enough to allow a labored breath past his lips.\u00a0 Blood poured from the wound in his throat, but he kept his focus on the maiden.<\/p>\n
He took three more steps before his legs gave out beneath him, toppling him to the ground.<\/p>\n
The elf stood up straight, enjoying a full breath for what seemed like the first time.\u00a0 Her face still stung, and in the absence of the adrenaline surge, the pain became more overt.\u00a0 A gentle brush of her fingers over her check did little to soothe that discomfort.<\/p>\n
Another howl echoed out from beyond her place in the forest.\u00a0 Stepping forward, Venathryn swept dried leaves away with her foot.\u00a0 After a short search, she recovered her fallen dagger.\u00a0 Grimacing, she rolled her fallen foe to his back.<\/p>\n
Contorted weirdly, the goblin\u2019s face looked even more imposing in death.\u00a0 The maiden kept her focus elsewhere, finding the knife that had laid him low in the grass beneath him.\u00a0 She wiped both blades upon his filthy clothes and then returned them to their spots on her hip and beneath the bracer.<\/p>\n
She looked to the west, knowing that more of the vicious creatures would be waiting for her.\u00a0 Alone in the woods, she looked to the sky once more.\u00a0 That haze grew darker, and Venathryn knew the sun was beginning to set.\u00a0 Spinning on her heel, the maiden gazed east.\u00a0 Her bosom rose and her eyes sparkled, but she could only look ion for several moments before she bowed her head.<\/p>\n
Reaching to her shoulder, Venathryn grasped her bow.\u00a0 She swung it up over her head, and began toward the sound of the screams.<\/p>\n
That approach was labored, for the maiden took care to steady her steps.\u00a0 The toes of her boots navigated around larger piles of leaves or fallen branches.\u00a0 All of her secrecy was nearly ripped from her when she saw the first body.<\/p>\n
Long, dark hair was pulled into a tight topknot, casting down over the head of her fallen companion.\u00a0 A dark crimson stain sat upon the elf\u2019s tunic, his cloak swept to the side.<\/p>\n
Venathryn placed her hand over her mouth.\u00a0 \u201cOh, Orfalas,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 Rolling him to his back, she saw how grievous his wounds had been.\u00a0 While one blade skewered him cleanly, countless others poked and prodded and slashed, leaving his tunic in tatters.<\/p>\n
\u201cNumax chased another one this way,\u201d a hoarse growl announced.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t let them escape, or Bruzug have our heads.\u201d<\/p>\n
Again, the elf found solace behind a tree.\u00a0 She watched as a pack of goblins took to the woods.\u00a0 Counting at least six of the slavering beats, she closed her eyes, praying that they would move on.<\/p>\n
When she opened her eyes once more, they were gone.<\/p>\n
The forest seemed warmer in their absence, as if they had oppressed the sun.\u00a0 High above, however, the sky was still veiled by that sinister haze.<\/p>\n
Sighing, Venathryn stepped away from her refuge.\u00a0 She continued her trek, toward where the screams had yielded to silence.<\/p>\n
Bodies were strewn everywhere.\u00a0 Elves, humans and goblins had succumbed to mortal wounds.\u00a0 Those that Venathryn had known and called friends were viciously dealt with, some only a fragment of what they once were.\u00a0 Her foes had simply conceded to death, none as mistreated in their final moments.<\/p>\n
The few humans she saw looked as though they had succumbed to their fates much more willingly.\u00a0 The maiden sneered at that weakness.<\/p>\n
Rays of sunlight snuck in just below the canopy, beneath the dismal fog.\u00a0 A radiant aura rolled over the leaves, spilling down upon them like a golden path.\u00a0 She took to that route, avoiding the fallen warriors on either side.\u00a0 Far beyond, she knew home was waiting for her.<\/p>\n
A groan to her side nearly had her sprinting for cover.\u00a0 She bent low, steadying her breaths.\u00a0 With the bow grasped in her hand, she reached for the quiver on her hip.\u00a0 Only a few arrows remained, and she let her fingers hover there for a moment.<\/p>\n
As her eyes adjusted, she saw movement behind a nearby tree.\u00a0 A leather boot gradually pulled back out of sight, a quiet moan resonating with the movement.<\/p>\n
Rising once more, the maiden tiptoed around the opposite side of the tall oak.\u00a0 More bodies could be seen in the nearby clearing, and nearly all were human.\u00a0 The encampment lay in tatters, tents ripped to rags and the dying remnants of fires barely producing a wisp of smoke.<\/p>\n
Several goblins had fallen in amongst the other dead.\u00a0 More than one persistently clutched carved horns.<\/p>\n
The elf\u2019s brow furled as she recalled those terrible instruments.\u00a0 She nearly disregarded the other presence.<\/p>\n
Another groan reeled her back, and she swung around to the side.\u00a0 Another of her people propped himself up against the tree, his skin ashen where it was not covered in blood.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuintus,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
She ran to his side, hooking her bow over her shoulder once more. Falling to her knees beside him, she placed her hand upon his forearm.\u00a0 The elf clutched his chest and gasped, but when his gaze fell upon his friend, his eyes were filled with relief.\u00a0 His chest heaved every moment, and blood trickled from his mouth, but he could not keep his lips from curling upward.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind predicament we\u2019ve found ourselves in, Venathryn,\u201d he said, his words taking the melodic form of their native language.\u00a0 \u201cHave you found any others?\u201d<\/p>\n
The maiden shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re all gone,\u201d she returned in elvish.\u00a0 \u201cOnly you and I remain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quintus locked his jaw and clenched his lips together.\u00a0 He forced a painful breath into his nostrils, but it struggled in his lungs.\u00a0 Shallow coughs puffed his cheeks and rocked his slender body.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many times have you whisperwalked?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust once,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He traced his bloodied teeth with his tongue before he turned to her again.\u00a0 Sighing, he began shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cOur pride overthrew us this day,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t think they could organize these kinds of numbers.\u00a0 Before we knew it, we\u2019d all gone twice, thinking we could be done with them in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we need to get you up,\u201d Venathryn offered.<\/p>\n
As she reached out to him, he pressed her hand away.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t you dare,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d never be able to get me to safety.\u00a0 All I would do is risk your life.\u201d\u00a0 Another series of gasps and coughs had the wounded elf shaking against the tree.\u00a0 When that bout ceased, he grasped his chest again.\u00a0 \u201cYou still have\u2026 one whisperwalk left.\u00a0 Go back to Aven\u2019adon.\u00a0 Tell them the horde is bigger than we anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sun has almost set,\u201d the maiden protested.\u00a0 \u201cIn a few hours, you could be telling them with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quintus growled at that notion.\u00a0 \u201cYou still don\u2019t know when to give up.\u00a0 I would never last until the moon rises to its peak.\u00a0 I am lost, Venathryn.\u00a0 But there is still hope for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood then, her brow furling.\u00a0 With gnashed teeth, she looked upon her companion.\u00a0 \u201cGet up,\u201d she demanded.\u00a0 \u201cYou needn\u2019t be so foolish.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou needn\u2019t be so stubborn,\u201d he contested.\u00a0 \u201cThere is nothing to be done!\u201d<\/p>\n
His shouts invited another series of agonizing coughs.\u00a0 He looked to the sky, moisture upon the rims of his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll be back this way soon,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 His voice was quieter than she had ever heard.\u00a0 \u201cWe could never push through them to Birch Haven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can if I send the goblins west,\u201d she protested.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou fool girl,\u201d Quintus cried.\u00a0 \u201cLet me die in peace.\u00a0 Let me see you drift away home.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was already in motion, racing to one of the fallen goblins.\u00a0 \u201cNot today,\u201d she whispered.\u00a0 With a fierce tug, she ripped the carved horn from the fallen creature\u2019s hip.<\/p>\n
The maiden dragged the heel of her hand against the mouth of the horn several times.\u00a0 Finally, she brought it to her lips, sending out a long, deep note.\u00a0 It traveled through the forest, passing through the rustling leaves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll be following me now,\u201d Venathryn said.\u00a0 \u201cAll you have to do is pretend until they\u2019re past.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let your pride get the better of you again.\u201d\u00a0 She began west, the horn still in her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cVenathryn!\u201d Quintus called out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll see you soon,\u201d she insisted.<\/p>\n
At once, the horn was between her lips again, and a rolling, taunting tune was played.\u00a0 She proceeded onward, passing the bodies of her fallen kin, and the humans from Birch Haven.\u00a0 As she raced forward, she leaned over, ripping the quiver from one of her kin\u2019s backs.\u00a0 They were lost, but the maiden could yet save one.\u00a0 Hesitating for only a moment, she looped the container around her back.<\/p>\n
She continued her sprint, a wry grin stretching her lips.\u00a0 Another blast from the horn announced her location, but the dead leaves were swirling beneath her feet an instant later.<\/p>\n
Another sound echoed out in the woods then.\u00a0 That agonizing cry seemed as though it rang out just beside her.<\/p>\n
Venathryn skidded to a stop, her jaw dropping as moisture welled up in her eyes.\u00a0 Only a dozen feet ahead of her, the forest had to abandon its sprawling growth.\u00a0 A wide ravine marked the end of her journey, though she barely noticed it was there.<\/p>\n
The rolling sound of Quintus\u2019 cry still lingered in the air, haunting the elf maiden.\u00a0 Gnashing her teeth together, she brought the goblin horn to her lips once more.\u00a0 That deep tone rumbled from the carved instrument until she could bear it no more.\u00a0 Venathryn gasped for air, and blinked away the tears that obscured her vision.<\/p>\n
She stepped forward, reaching that wide ravine.\u00a0 A light breeze cast a pile of shriveled, dry leaves into the abyss.\u00a0 The maiden watched as they careened toward the darkness far below.<\/p>\n
Her dark eyebrows furled then, and she gazed ahead.\u00a0 There, twenty feet away, another cliff stretched high above.\u00a0 The sheer, grey wall was shorn in places, sharp, jutting rock facing her.<\/p>\n
Blowing a fragile sigh from her lips, Venathryn lifted the goblin horn once more.\u00a0 With a pronounced grunt, she heaved the instrument across the ravine.\u00a0 It smashed into the broken cliff face, shattering into pieces.\u00a0 The fragments fell, but a small cloud of dust lifted into the air before dissipating.<\/p>\n
A determined nod raised the maiden\u2019s head.\u00a0 Turning on her heel, she lifted the bow over her shoulder one last time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here, you filthy rats!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as I stand, the Birchwood stands with me!\u201d<\/p>\n
She waited there for some time, with no enemies in sight.\u00a0 She wondered if they had all moved on, searching for any of her kin that might have escaped to the east.\u00a0 Subtle movement behind the trees assured her that she was not alone, however.<\/p>\n
Venathryn set an arrow to her bow.\u00a0 A deep breath filled her lungs, and she drew back the string.<\/p>\n
The goblins offered her no further respite.\u00a0 From the trees, a trio of the monstrous creatures rushed on.\u00a0 Axes and clubs were held high and foreign curses were slung from broken, bloodied lips.<\/p>\n
Below her, the maiden could feel the ground tremble.\u00a0 It mattered not.\u00a0 She closed one eye and narrowed the other, steadying her aim.\u00a0 Her missile shot forth, striking one of her foes in his throat.\u00a0 He carried forward for several more steps until a lack of breath slung him to the ground.<\/p>\n
Another arrow was ready upon the elf\u2019s bow.\u00a0 As she trained her next target, another projectile flew out toward her.\u00a0 Venathryn turned and dipped her shoulder, watching as the crude crossbow quarrel missed its mark.<\/p>\n
Swinging back around, she fell into her stance with ease.\u00a0 Another arrow launched out, hitting a second goblin in the abdomen.\u00a0 That blow staggered him for a moment, but he pressed on.<\/p>\n
Venathryn stepped back, her boot nearly slipping off the ledge.\u00a0 A deep breath steadied her, and she pulled another missile from her quiver.\u00a0 Before she even had it firmly upon the bowstring, she drew her arm back.<\/p>\n
A resounding thwack<\/i> echoed as the missile hit its mark.\u00a0 The arrow shuddered in the creature\u2019s skull, only beginning to stop once he flopped to the ground.<\/p>\n
Her final pursuer drew near, yet still behind him, she saw further movement in the trees.\u00a0 She reached for her quiver again, and quickly realized that she had run out of ammunition.<\/p>\n
A subtle growl slipped from her mouth as she grabbed just behind her shoulder.\u00a0 A feathered shaft tapped against her fingers, and she tugged it free.<\/p>\n
The goblin raised his sword high, the hefty blade nearly reaching the lowest branches of the closest tree.\u00a0 His pace never wavered, even when the elf maiden aimed her bow at his chest.\u00a0 A weak breeze struck him as he left the trees behind, and arrived upon the barren cliff.<\/p>\n
Venathryn lowered her weapon and loosed her arrow.\u00a0 A satisfying thump announced its arrival at her intended target.\u00a0 Though her foe didn\u2019t seem to be bothered by the missile in his ankle, his leg could no longer support his weight.\u00a0 He tumbled to the ground, rolling from the precipice.<\/p>\n
Wasting little time, the maiden swung about and retrieved another arrow.\u00a0 Just at the tree line, the goblin sniper stepped to his side, once more taking aim with his crossbow.<\/p>\n
The elf was quicker.\u00a0 That hastily launched projectile met its mark, sinking deep within the goblin\u2019s eye.\u00a0 That blow was not so easily disregarded, and the foul creature fell to the ground in a heap.<\/p>\n
Sighing, the proud warrior took in that brief respite.\u00a0 The autumn breeze kissed her skin, eliciting small bumps on her arms.\u00a0 She unhooked the quiver on her hip and cast it into the abyss below.<\/p>\n
Beyond the trees, she could still see the approach of more foes.\u00a0 Sinking to one knee, she placed her bow upon the ground.\u00a0 The quiver on her back was received next, swung up over her shoulder.<\/p>\n
The goblins grunted and hollered.\u00a0 She could see several of them through the foliage then, letting their overwhelming presence be known.\u00a0 Her eyes settled upon her quiver then.\u00a0 Even if she landed every shot perfectly, there would still be enough enemies standing to cut her down.<\/p>\n
As she strapped the quiver to her belt, she looked over her shoulder.\u00a0 High above, the opposite cliff would be too far for goblin crossbows to reach.\u00a0 Venathryn bowed her head.<\/p>\n
Focusing ahead, she witnessed the first of her opponents clearing the trees.\u00a0 As she wrapped her fingers around her bow, she closed her eyes, feeling that slight breeze whip into something more frenzied.\u00a0 A deafening whoosh<\/i> echoed in her ears.<\/p>\n
Then, all was quiet.<\/p>\n
When she opened her eyes, she saw the forest beneath her.\u00a0 On the cliff where she once stood, she could still see the dry leaves spiraling back toward the ground.\u00a0 A quartet of goblins arrived there as well, in awe of the disappearing maiden.<\/p>\n
She rose to her feet, taking up her bow once more.\u00a0 Narrowing her eye, she took aim on the unsuspecting fiends below.<\/p>\n
The first arrow screeched out, thumping into the foremost goblin\u2019s chest.\u00a0 He glanced in every direction like a confused deer.\u00a0 It was not long before his companions pointed toward the higher cliff, where the maiden stood sentinel.<\/p>\n
One by one, Venathryn sent out her missiles until her quiver ran empty, and a new trio of goblins lay dead upon the lower precipice.\u00a0 Many more had arrived to bolster their ranks.<\/p>\n
A resigned sigh passed through her lips as she placed her bow over her shoulder once more.\u00a0 Still, the goblins below stood and stared, chanting something in their guttural language.<\/p>\n
\u201cBruzug.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBruzug.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBruzug.\u201d<\/p>\n
Narrowing her eyes, Venathryn sneered at her distant foes.\u00a0 The sun had long before passed the horizon behind her, and the moon was rising.\u00a0 It would not be long before she could travel to her home once more.<\/p>\n
She turned on her heel.<\/p>\n
She was not alone.<\/p>\n
The massive goblin towered over her.\u00a0 Bruzug wore a scowl that she could just barely see upon his pale skin.<\/p>\n
With deceptive speed, his hands landed upon her throat.\u00a0 The maiden reached for her hip, blindly feeling for her hidden weapon.\u00a0 The goblin warlord pressed harder with his thumbs, squeezing Venathryn\u2019s throat closed.<\/p>\n
Finally, her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger.\u00a0 She brought it up, and delivered it into Bruzug\u2019s forearm.<\/p>\n
If he seemed at all bothered by that puncture, it didn\u2019t show.\u00a0 He snarled as he pushed on her shoulders, thrusting her to the ground.\u00a0 She grasped at his powerful hold, trying to wrench him away.\u00a0 Her fingers couldn\u2019t squeeze in between his hands though.\u00a0 An awkward rattle escaped the maiden\u2019s lips as she pleaded for mercy.<\/p>\n
It was too late.\u00a0 The trees, embraced by autumn, seemed to catch fire then.\u00a0 Everything Venathryn saw became veiled by crimson.\u00a0 Those shades of red soon yielded to a terrible frightening darkness.<\/p>\n
The elf felt nothing then, even terror slipping away from her as she took one last strained breath.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter One: The Day I Die Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she sprinted forth, weaving around tall, sturdy trees.\u00a0 An agonizing cry far behind her lent itself to that terrible cacophony.\u00a0 High above, a haze obscured the sun, leaving the forest eerily dismal. Venathryn braced herself against the tree trunk, steadying her breaths.\u00a0 The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[222,61,127],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-9F","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=599"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":600,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599\/revisions\/600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}