Merileaf's story (in 9 parts)

[Dendory]

The hunt The path was still fresh. Merileaf could imagine how the bear had left each print in the grass with its powerful paws. She'd been tracking it for over an hour now, and she knew it was no ordinary bear. As a wood elf ranger, tracking beasts in the forest was her specialty, and she had tracked a large amount of bears in the past. This one had left much bigger prints, and she was intent on finding it. It wasn't an easy thing to do. Greater Faydark has a large amount of animals, and distinguishing the various prints left in the grass was something only a trained tracker could do. This area had a lot of trees, all very tall and very old, which made looking more than a few feet ahead of her impossible due to the dense foliage. The ground also had various rocks and fallen wood laying on the grass, making it a challenge for her on this day. As she came to a clearing between the trees, she saw it. A very large bear, with brown fur and an impressive head. She tried to be as quiet as she possibly could while approaching the bear, laying low in the grass and using bushes to hide behind. This beast would not only feed a lot of people back in Kelethin, but would make a great trophy. With only a few more yards to go, the bear turned its head. It looked directly at her. She froze, and layed down on the ground, trying not to make any sound. But it was too late, the bear had detected her. It seemed to hesitate for a moment, then turned toward her and charged, with an open mouth, while growling in a deep voice. Merileaf sprung to her feet, then quickly got her bow and an arrow out. The bear was just a few feet in front of her when she shot. She aimed carefully, despite her anxiety. The arrow went flying through the air and landed right on the bear's neck. To her surprise, the bear didn't stop, and kept coming. As it got up to her, she jumped out of the way in an agile motion. The bear turned around, and charged once more. She quickly got an other arrow out and shot. The bear slowed down, then slowly lowered its head. After a few seconds, it slowly came down on the ground, and died a few feet in front of her. Merileaf stood in the clearing, with the dead bear at her feet, and thought about what had just occurred. At 21, she was already an experienced hunter. She was not a very tall girl, but had long golden hair coming down on her shoulders. She wore a green chainmail vest with short sleeves, green chainmail shorts, brown leather boots and gloves. She had picked an outfit that allowed her to stay agile and comfortable in the hot sunny days outdoors, also choosing not to wear a helm for the same reasons. She had tanned skin, and visible muscles on her arms and legs, from spending most of her childhood life practicing hunting in the forest and doing other physical tasks. She carried a long bow with a set of arrows on her back, and a crafted short sword at her belt. She had been brought up in Kelethin, the city in the trees, by her grand parents, ever since she was a young girl. She had never known her real parents, as was common in these troubled lands. Cautious people, they didn't want Merileaf to go too far away from the safety of Kelethin and the surrounding forest. Up until recently, she had respected their wishes. However, ever since she had fallen in love, six months ago, with another wood elf ranger named Kethos, she had taken more risks and started hunting bigger animals. They often went off in the forest, sometimes to track some rare beast, sometimes simply as a romantic vacation, but she always made sure to be back home at the end of the day. She carried the corpse of the dead bear all the way back, and could already imagine the joy it would bring to the local town folks that could share in the feast. As she got closer to the lift, the wooden elevator that she used to get up to the Kelethin platforms in the trees, she noticed that the usual guards were not there. It was odd, as the forest also contained some nasty creatures that were enemies of Kelethin, namely the orcs, and the fairy legion were always on guard duty. She went up the lift, and noticed a gathering near a local merchant house. She lay the bear corpse down on the wooden platform, and went to see what was happening. The various elves, humans and faes that were there looked distressed. She recognized one of the fairy she was friend with, and waved at him. As the fae saw her come, his face took a sad look, and he said: "Merileaf, thank Tunare you're here. It's Kethos..."

[Dendory]

The attack The attack had been brutal. There were still corpses of dead orcs and guards on the ground. These kinds of attacks were rare, as the orcs were savage and ferocious, but also cowards, and they rarely mounted assaults against Kelethin. They resided in the dark hallways of Crushbone, their castle on the other side of Greater Faydark, but scouts could be found spying and plotting against Kelethin on a regular basis. Merileaf ran to the fae, unsure what to think, and asked for details: "What happened? Where is Kethos?" The fae looked at her with sad eyes and replied: "They took them. They took over 15 people this time. The attack came this morning, they overpowered the guards at the lift and did their dirty work in an instant. Before we could react, they kidnapped over 15 elves and faes from this platform and the tavern area then left. The guards managed to kill a few orcs but there were too many. I'm so sorry." Faes are very small human like creatures with wings, and when an emotion could be seen on their face, their whole body showed it, down to the tip of his wings who seemed sad. A tear appeared on her face. She asked again: "They took Kethos too? They brought him to their castle?" The orcs used anyone they could get their hands on as slaves. They usually kidnapped people who got lost in the forest, but this was the second time that they had mounted a full scale assault on the city to take people from their homes. They were becoming more bold, and this was a scary thought. The orcs always needed more prisoners to dig their mines. The captain of the guard then came up to them and looked at Merileaf: "Don't worry, the city council is meeting right now to decide on a plan of action. We'll be increasing the guard and preparing to repeal any future invasion." She replied: "But what about Kethos? What about the people they abducted? Clearly we need to go there, and save them." The captain's face turned to resignation: "To Crushbone? Surely not. You know we aren't a war like people. We don't have the resources to go face the orcs on their own territory. As tragic as it is to all of us, we need to concentrate on the security of the town and protect those who are still with us." Merileaf couldn't believe what she was hearing. The city authority had always been known to do everything they could to avoid conflict. While the elves were a pacifist people, the faeries were even more. They hated violence, regardless of the cause, and the city council was composed of a majority of faes. But clearly this time was different. She thought they couldn't stand by while the orcs used their people as slaves, and not even try to save them. With a firm voice, she said: "I'll go. I'll save them from Crushbone." The captain took a patronizing tone: "Now dear, don't be foolish. There are too many of them for you to do anything. Plus you're too important to us." Most of the people living here were merchants and farmers. They depended on people like her, adventurers willing and able to go out into the wild and face the dangers, to bring back food and keep the roads safe. While the fairy legion handled the city defense, they were mostly part time employees, more skilled with a rake than a sword. Merileaf and the rest of the ranger guild took care of the real threats. This small group of elves and faes practiced the skills necessary to survive in the wild, and the city folks were reliant on them more than they cared to admit. Now with Kethos gone, the crew grew dangerously small. She then looked around at the other people gathered nearby, raised her voice and addressed the crowd: "What about you all? Don't you want to save the people that were taken away from us, our loved ones?" Some people murmured to each others, but no one spoke up. She continued: "Kethos served this town on many occasions in the past, and so did I. Is this too much to ask?" One of the faes listening replied: "We're grateful Merileaf. We all are. But look at us. We're simple folks. We can't sleep at night anymore. We're so scared of the orcs, most of us won't go in the forest." Another fae spoke: "Can't we negotiate with them?" An elf argued: "No! We tried that and they didn't want to listen." Seeing this wouldn't get her anywhere, she left them and headed to the council house. As a city shared by both elves and faes, the council was represented by members of both races. However, they were mostly old people who hadn't seen a battle in many years. They were reluctant to act quickly about anything. She arrived at the door of the large hall, a big building constructed of fine crafted wood, on the highest platform, high in the trees. As she was about to open the front door, someone came out in a hurry, slamming the door shut. It was a tall male wood elf. As Merileaf saw he was not looking where he was going, she barely had the time to say: "Watch out!" just before the elf slammed into her.

[Amethest]

more please...

[Dendory]

Yes captain <div align="left">The tall elf was the ranger chief. An older wood elf with a long experience of battles and conflicts. He had founded the ranger guild many years ago in an attempt to help Kelethin defend itself from its enemies, and help keep the forest safe for travelers. The guild wasn't big, as the admission tests were very hard, and the total membership was less than a dozen people, including Merileaf and Kethos. Merileaf had joined them at 16 and since then became his best student. Seeing he had bumped into her, he said: "Oh Meri, I'm sorry. These [Removed for Content] councilmen made me so angry I wasn't paying attention where I went." Merileaf looked at him and said: "What happened in there?" He replied: "They don't want to listen to my advices. I told them countless times that if the forest wasn't cleaned up of those [Removed for Content] orcs, this would happen. Every day the orcs become more confident, and every day Kelethin is in danger, because we don't show them we're able to strike back. I heard about Kethos, I'm sorry." He put his hand on her shoulder and comforted her. They stayed silent for a few instants, then Merileaf said: "We need to get them back. We need to go to Crushbone, even if the council doesn't want to help us." The ranger chief took a saddened look: "My heart is with you Meri, unfortunately my hands are tied. I have responsibilities toward the city and they need us to help defend the roads. We can't close the forest to travelers, and merchants depend on outside trades to keep our city alive." Merileaf thought about it, and knew the chief was right. She was sad at the loss of Kethos, and felt angry at the orcs. She didn't want to ask the chief to betray his convictions, yet she knew she had to go save him, regardless of the outcome. She wasn't sure how successful she'd be alone in Crushbone, but she had battled orc scouts in the past, and emerged victorious. Merileaf spoke: "I don't want to take away anyone of value to the city, but I know I have to try to save him. I will go in the forest and into Crushbone, and I'll try my best to get him. To get all of our people away from those nasty orcs." The chief looked at her for a long moment, then put his hand on her arm and said, in a soft voice: "I wish Kelethin had more brave people like you, Meri. I wish you luck, and may Tunare guide you in your journey." He left her and continued on his route, leaving Merileaf to think on how she would accomplish this quest. Saying goodbye to her grand parents was a painful moment. They both wanted her to stay, and pleaded with her not to take such a big risk. In the end, she convinced them it was something she had to do. She decided to travel light, as she always did. Her strength was in her ability to use the forest as a natural hiding ground, and hunt down her enemies, striking before they even knew she was there. To do this she couldn't be encumbered. She needed to be able to see all around her, smell every odor, and feel every gust of wind on her skin. That's why she had selected a light armor set, a simple wooden bow and a short sword. Every time she put on that equipment before leaving the house, she could see an expression of worry on her grand parent's faces, as they knew she would be facing the many dangers in the forest. </div>As she exited town, she saw several of the town folks still busy cleaning up the corpses, and mourning their lost ones. Everyone turned and looked at her as she walked out. Everyone in the city knew her and was grateful for her work to the city. Several people bowed as she went by, others waved, some stayed silent. Merileaf wasn't sure yet how she'd go about entering Crushbone, let alone free the slaves from all the orcs. She always faced danger bravely and when she had encountered orcs in the past, it usually always went the same way. She would expertly approach the orc, and shoot her trusty bow before the orc could spot her. The orc usually died before it ever managed to draw its sword. Once however, an orc scout had taken her by surprise as she was tracking an animal, and she had to defend herself in melee combat. Even if the orc was taller than her, she found out that she was stronger, and defeated it without trouble. Orcs had big arms, but that was mostly fat. As for their head, they didn't have a large brain either. But each time it was only one orc, and now they would be dozens, maybe hundreds. She decided to go see someone who had been studying the orcs for a long time, a fae by the name of Dhala. She was mostly an hermit and resided in a small house outside of town, in the forest. She had studied the orcs for several years and might be able to help. As Merileaf took the lift down, she started walking toward her house, hopeful that maybe the fae would be able to help.

[Dendory]

Mistaken identities <div align="left"> "Hi! my name is Dhala Veera." The fae greeted Merileaf before she even saw the house. As she came up to her, she bowed down. Dhala asked: "Who might you be and how can I be of service?" Merileaf replied: "My name is Merileaf, I'm a ranger in the service of Kelethin, and I seek information about the orcs." Dhala smiled and invited her inside the house: "Ah yes! I've heard of you. Several travelers have said the forest is now safer thanks to you." Merileaf blushed, she was not used to receive compliments. Dhala served some tea: "So, what would you like to know?" Merileaf continued: "The orcs have attacked the city, and they captured more people, including my love, Kethos. I'm hoping to go to Crushbone to save them. But I'm alone and know nothing of their castle." Dhala looked saddened: "I did not know they attacked. I've been watching them for a long time and I have to admit they have become more present now than ever. They can sometimes be seen crossing roads which used to be safe. I think I know why." She put her tea glass down, and kept going: "The emperor of Crushbone has new allies. I've observed a dark elf diplomat make his way to the castle a few days ago. It would not surprised me if the dark elves were pushing the orcs to attack us. It would be a good way for them to strike without having to declare war on Kelethin." Merileaf replied coldly: "But I'm not interested in politics, I just want to rescue the slaves." Dhala said: "Well, if you were to eliminate the diplomat, then they wouldn't have the dark elf support anymore. Then, perhaps you could find someway of using the distraction to rescue your friends." Merileaf thought about it, calmed down and said: "You're right, I'm sorry, I'm very upset at what they did to my people." Dhala smiled: "That's very understandable, and I wish I could help you more. Unfortunately, I'm just an old fairy, but I do hope my information will be useful." Merileaf stood up and patted the fae on the head. Dhala giggled, and showed her guest to the door. She then said: "I know someone who might be able to help you more concretely. My nephew is a good fairy and spends most of his time in the forest. He has confronted orcs before and he's been near Crushbone. Maybe he could help you find the best way to enter the castle." As she walked away, Merileaf waved goodbye to Dhala and went toward Crushbone, to the location the fae said her nephew could be found. The road was clear and the trip uneventful. As she got close to the location, she saw a small hut constructed near a tree, not far from the road. She walked to it, then heard a sound coming from a nearby bush. She stopped, kept as quiet as she could, layed down low in the grass and slowly went toward the bush. She came up to the sound, and saw a fae on the other side of the bush. As she was about to hail the fae, he noticed her, and gave her a swift kick. Merileaf backed out of the way just in time, and the fae went for another strike, using his right hand to punch in her direction. Merileaf caught his hand with hers, and gave the fairy a quick side kick, throwing him down on the ground. As the fae got up, he looked at her and seemed to calm down. He was rather small, even for a fairy, and dressed in full leather armor, including a helm, tunic, pants, boots, sleeves, arm guards and gloves. He also had a small dagger on his belt. He said: "Oh my, you're not an orc are you?" Merileaf kept both arms in a defensive posture and replied: "Obviously. Who are you and why did you attack me?" The fae replied: "I'm sorry, my name is Shoram." Merileaf relaxed: "Ah, Dhala's nephew? She sent me to find you." Shoram said: "Oh did she! Then I'm glad to meet you!" He came closer, then looked her up from head to toe: "Wow I have no idea how I could have confused you with an orc, you're way too hot to be one!". She laughed at the comment: "Well aren't you something. But I think you're a bit too young to be flirting with me." He blushed: "But I'm 16 already!" Merileaf rolled her eyes: "Right..." Shoram smiled, then he said: "I'm sorry. I'm feeling so silly. You see, I rarely see anyone here, and usually not pretty girls." Merileaf sat down next to him and patted Shoram on the head. He said: "I'm studying nature and the arts of the druid, so I'm spending all my time in the forest and I try to avoid other intelligent creatures. What brings you to my corner of the woods?" Merileaf replied: "The orcs attacked Kelethin and kidnapped people that they brought back as slaves. I need to go in and try to rescue them. I was wondering if you had seen anything that could help me." Shoram thought about it for a few moments then said: "Those orcs are the most destructive force on nature ever. They spend all their time destroying plants, cutting down trees, and polluting the area with their smell. I know the front of their castle well as I've examined it often, but I've never been brave enough to explore it inside. I want to help you." Merileaf nodded and said: "I could use any information you have, this won't be an easy task as so far I've been traveling alone." Shoram quickly said: "I want to go with you. I have a score to settle with these beasts." Merileaf looked at him for a moment, unsure if she should accept this generous offer. She didn't know him well, but seeing him fight earlier, she knew he had potential and could provide valuable assistance. She would have a much better chance of saving them with a partner. She smiled at him and said, jokingly: "Alright but I hope you'll be able to behave!" He laughed: "Oh don't you worry lady, you'll be so impressed by my fighting skills that it's you who'll be wishing I was your age!" </div> This time Merileaf was the one blushing.

[Dendory]

Orcs <div align="left"> </div>As they walked together on the road to Crushbone, they stayed attentive to their surrounding as they neared an area more frequented by orcs. They knew they would have to face them sooner or later, it just came faster than they expected. As they passed a series of trees, they saw two orcs standing on the side of the road ahead of them, as if guarding the area. They slowly came up to them, trying not to alert the orcs. Unfortunately, Shoram was not very experienced at being stealthy, and he stepped on a branch, which alerted the orcs. Both orcs looked in their direction, and one orc yelled at the other, in an unknown language, pointing in their direction, as they had spotted Shoram. They both charged head first, as  both adventurers stayed motionless against the grass. Shoram started to panic. Merileaf put a reassuring tap on his shoulder, and told him quietly: "I'll take the left, you take the right." He nodded nervously, and they both stood up and met the orcs face to face. The orcs froze for a moment in surprise at seeing two people, instead of only the one they had spotted. Shoram took advantage of their hesitation and pulled his dagger out, then gave the orc several strikes to the face. As the orc put both of his hands on his face to try and protect it, he casted a spell toward the orc. Dozens of magical bees appeared out of thin air, and attacked the orc on the head, neck and arms. The orc screamed in pain and turned around to run. Shoram casted another spell and the orc's legs started to freeze, as if an ice cube had formed instantly around his feet, and it fell face down on the ground. Shoram then kicked the orc a few times and used his dagger once more until its body stayed motionless. Merileaf's orc saw the mistakes made by its companion, and approached her more carefully. She drew her sword, as the orc was too close to use her bow, and faced it. He drew a long wooden staff, and attacked. She easily parried its first attack, and gave the orc a good blow which opened a deep wound in its arm. The orc screamed in pain, but then quickly attacked again. Merileaf raised her sword in a defensive posture, but the orc changed tactic and gave a blow to the sword from the side. Her sword slipped from her hand and came down on the ground. As she faced the orc disarmed, she was unsure what to do. She decided she would still be able to win without her weapon, and charged the orc. Surprised, the orc stepped back a few feet. Merileaf put both hands on the staff, and used all her force to rip it away from the orc. Stunned by the tactic, the orc hesitated for a moment. Merileaf took the opportunity and turned the orc around with a swift kick, then put her arm around his neck from behind in a perfect headlock, then twisted. The orc came crashing down to the ground. Merileaf and Shoram looked at each others, and started laughing. Shoram said: "Nice tactic there." Merileaf smiled and replied: "Thanks, you did great too!" They kept going along the road, and soon came in sight of the castle. Crushbone was a very big castle. It looked as if it could hold several hundreds orcs. It had stone towers, with multiple wooden buildings in the front part, and most of the rest carved directly into a mountain wall. The walls were very tall, if somewhat badly constructed. There were multiple entrances, and several orcs could be seen guarding each of them. As Merileaf was pondering what the best way to get in would be, she thought about her lover, and all of the town people, now laboring deep in Crushbone, slaves of the orcs, and she felt a renewed sense of purpose. The slaves were most likely being kept in one of the outside barracks, and had to work in the copper mines that the orcs maintained underground. They used the material to construct basic items, and to trade with less than reputable traders. She decided the best way to act would probably be at night, when the prisoners would be all together, and many of the orcs would be sleeping. Orcs were not brave, and would flee a fight if they thought the outcome looked bad for them, but they would defend their castle. Their leader, Emperor Crushbone, had lead the Greater Faydark orcs for many decades, and commanded the orcs with an iron fist. Orcs seen guarding the gates and patrolling the walls seemed much more alert. Merileaf doubted that they could be intimidated as easily as a common orc scout, and a frontal attack was not a wise idea. She turned toward Shoram and said: "We've got to find a way in!"

[Dendory]

Saviors Shoram pointed to a side entrance: "I went this way once, and only one orc was guarding that entrance. It's probably the best place to try." Merileaf nodded, then they waited for the middle of the night and went toward that gate. Luck was on their side, and when they arrived at the gate, there was only one orc, and he was snoring, asleep at his post. They quietly sneaked inside the compound, and took a look around. The courtyard was large, and over a dozen wooden buildings were constructed in the area. Unfortunately, there were a large quantity of torches planted on the ground, and the area was well lit. They would not have much darkness to help them find the right building, nor could they see obvious signs of where the prisoners were kept. There were regular orc patrols around the buildings, and they had to move quickly in order to not be discovered. Merileaf said quietly: "There's a building right there, let's try it." Shoram looked at her, unsure if this was a wise decision, but nodded and followed her. They opened the front door, and went inside. They found themselves in a large room with several tables and chairs, as well as a few empty bookcases. There was a bad smell all around them, and several blood stains could be seen on the floor. There was no one else in the room, but they saw a door half opened on the back wall and could hear voices on the other side. They slowly came toward the door and listened carefully. They heard two orcs talking in an unknown language, and they also heard a female voice, crying in pain. Merileaf slowly opened the door and looked inside. On the other side of the door was a smaller room, with a desk, several chairs, and what appeared like several steel made torture devices on the wall. Two orcs were standing in the middle of the room, with their backs toward the door, and a wood elf girl was sitting on a chair in front of them. She looked like she was around 16, had brown hair, and was dressed in ragged clothes. Her clothes were very dirty and had several blood stains. She had both hands tied behind her back. As the two adventurers came inside the room, one of the orc spoke to the girl with a very big accent: "You tell me now, where they go? Where are wood elves hiding in the forest?" Seeing the girl was not answering, the orc punched her in the chest, which made her cry even more. This made Merileaf angry, and she picked up a chair from the ground, then threw it at the orc who had just punched the girl. The chair crashed into the orc's back which sent it flying to the opposite wall, breaking a wooden desk on the way. Both the other orc and the wounded girl turned around and looked at Merileaf and Shoram. The girl's face displayed a renewed hope as she saw her saviors, while the orc looked scared, and turned around to look at the broken desk, as if unsure what to do next. Taking advantage of the orc's hesitation, Merileaf took her bow and shot the orc in the face. The arrow reached its target with precision and the orc fell to the ground, screaming in pain. She then walked over, and struck the orc with her sword. The other orc stood back up, and seeing the fate of its companion, made a dash for the door, attempting to escape, to sound the alarm. Shoram moved in the way and stood in the door frame, daggers drawn. The orc saw him and kept charging for the door, raising its sword to face Shoram. He raised both daggers, and parried the orc's sword easily. The orc struck again, and the fae blocked the attack, then gave the orc a swift kick. The sword dropped from its hand, and the orc looked at Shoram nervously, wondering if it should attempt to pick the weapon back up or face him disarmed. The orc went for the sword, as Shoram went for its chest with both daggers. The orc fell to the ground, dead. With its tormentors dead, the girl said: "By the gods it's good to see friendly faces!" Merileaf went over and untied the girl, then she helped her up. Shoram casted a curing spell, and the prisoner started to feel better: "Thank you! Thank you for saving me. My name is Aaliva, and I'm a farmer from Kelethin. I was working in the fields when a gang of orcs came and captured me. These beasts were torturing me for information." Merileaf said: "I'm Merileaf and this is Shoram. We came to free the prisoners from the orcs." Aaliva looked at them both, then said: "How do you intend to free all the slaves, you're only two and they are hundreds." Shoram replied jokingly: "Don't worry, Merileaf can kill a dozen orcs bare handed!" Merileaf gave an annoyed look back at the fae: "Now is not the time for pleasantries. We need to act fast. I heard about a dark elf diplomat helping the orcs. If we could eliminate him, maybe we disrupt the orcs." Aaliva thought about it, and nodded: "Yes I think that's the one I heard the orcs talk about. I think it's more than a diplomat, he's a sorcerer that gives magical protection to the orcs, making them more confident, and maybe that's why they have mounted bigger assaults lately. But he's in the castle, guarded by orcs, we'll never make it to him." Merileaf formulated a plan: "Here's what we'll try: We'll sneak to the barracks where the prisoners are, and free them. As the orcs are busy trying to capture them back, we'll get in and strike at the diplomat, to disrupt their abilities to fight." Aaliva nodded: "I know where they are kept, I'll show you."

[Dendory]

The keep <div align="left"> As they made their way to the barrack containing the prisoners, Aaliva said: "Please don't let the orcs get to me, I'm not good at fighting." Merileaf smiled: "Don't worry, stay behind me and they won't touch you." Shoram pointed to Merileaf's biceps and looked at Aaliva: "That's how she does it!" Aaliva laughed quietly, trying not to make too much noise: "Yes I saw a nice demonstration back there." Merileaf felt flattered by the comments, but tried not to let it show. They managed to avoid the patrols, and soon found the building they were looking for. </div> As they arrived at the barrack, they saw the door was guarded by three orcs. Two were standing in front of the door, chatting away, while the third was sitting on a wooden barrel. Merileaf looked around, trying to think of an idea on how to get past them. Seeing no other way in, she decided a quick stealth strike would be the best way to get them down before they could sound the alarm: "I'll shoot the one standing on the left, you use your spells on the right one. Then we'll charge the orc sitting down before he has a chance to react." Shoram nodded then prepared to cast. Merileaf shot two quick arrows right at the chest of her orc. At the same moment, Shoram cast a powerful lightning strike on the head of the other standing orc. Both orcs fell to the ground. Seeing its fellow guards fall, the third orc stood up and drew its sword, looking around to find where the attacks had come from. By the time the or spotted them, Merileaf and Shoram were already charging toward the door. The orc fell quickly at the end of her sword and his daggers, and all three orcs remained motionless on the ground. Using a key found on one of the orcs, Merileaf unlocked then opened the door and then they entered. Inside they found over thirty elves and faes. Seeing the trio enter, an expression of relief appeared on their faces, and they ran up toward them and cheered, hugged them and cried in joy. Merileaf motioned for them to be quiet: "We're here to rescue you. We cleared the way to the side gate, and you can escape that way." Seeing her lover was not amongst them, she continued: "Are there other prisoner barracks? Where is Kethos?" One of the elves replied: "Kethos was brought to Emperor Crushbone. He intends to kill him at a ceremony tomorrow to show off at having captured such a high priority target. I believe he is kept in the back of the castle. I don't think they are keeping any other prisoner elsewhere." Sadness invaded her mind once more. They were so close, yet still out of reach. Going after the Emperor would be suicide, yet she had to try, she needed to find Kethos. She looked at the room of people: "I can't ask any of you to come, but I need to press on and get the dark elf diplomat, and then rescue Kethos from the Emperor. I may not succeed, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try." Shoram came near her and said: "I'm with you. Let's hit these orcs where it hurts." Aaliva said: "Well I may not be much help but I can at least show you where they are." An elf male amongst the prisoners came forward and said: "I'm Lorial, and while I'm no great adventurer, I chased away more than one beast from my farm before, and I'll be glad to help you kill some orcs." She thanked them, and said to the crowd: "The rest of you, go out the west gate and lay low. The orcs are going to figure out what happened soon and will try send out search parties. Hopefully we'll be able to use the diversion to get to Kethos." He took a wooden staff from the ground and stood up next to Merileaf. As the four made their way in the main keep, Merileaf tried to focus on her mission, not to be distracted by her worry of Kethos's faith. They soon started hearing shouting, and saw many orcs come out of the keep and heading toward the gates. It seems they detected the escape quite quickly. The adventurers hurried up to get inside the keep while the orcs were busy elsewhere. Entering the main keep proved easy. The guards had all left, and it seems the orcs didn't expect someone would be trying to get in, and assumed all the prisoners had left Crushbone. Aaliva led them through the hallways: "This way, once the orcs brought me inside and I saw a room with a big statue where the dark elf was plotting with the orcs. It's just around the next corner." As they went around that corner, they came face to face with two orcs. Grinning, Merileaf drew her sword. The orcs appeared very surprised to see them, and they quickly drew swords. As Merileaf attacked the first orc, Shoram and Lorial charged the second. Merileaf's orc gave a valiant attempt at defending itself, but Merileaf gave powerful blows and soon the orc was defeated. The second orc however looked less interested in fighting multiple opponents, and it turned around to flee. Shoram quickly casted a spell toward the orc, and roots appeared out of thin air around its feet. The orc fell face first on the ground, and the two men put it out of its misery. With the obstacle out of the way, they came to the room, and looked inside. The room was rather big, with crafted armor sets on display around the walls, shields and swords on the walls, and a big iron statue near the back wall. There was nothing in the middle except a small wooden desk. They could also see a small door on the back wall, behind the statue. The four adventurers entered the room, and started walking toward the door. As soon as they were all inside the room, the door they had just entered closed by itself, startling them. Merileaf went back to the door and tried to open it again, but the door wouldn't move: "I don't like this. Some kind of magic is holding this door closed." Aaliva said in a scared voice: "This isn't good. We need to get out of here." Merileaf replied: "Come, let's try the other door." They walked to the back door, Merileaf put her hand on the handle, and started turning it. As the handle turned, it stopped moving halfway, and then they all heard a very loud cracking sound, coming from the statue.

[Dendory]

The statue Merileaf turned to look at the statue, and to her horror it had started moving, and gave a huge blow to Shoram, which happened to be closest to it, and sent him flying to the other side of the room. The statue was one of a male of some type in full plate armor, twice as tall as her, made of iron, yet it was moving as if it had become alive. It jumped down from its pedestal, and headed toward Shoram. Merileaf, Aaliva and Lorial were now cut from Shoram, with the statue in between. It easily reached Shoram, picked him up from the ground with both hands, raised him in the air higher than its head, then threw him on the ground once more. Shoram let out a scream as pain invaded his body. Aaliva slid down to the ground on her knees, frozen by terror. Trying to overcome her panic, Merileaf got her bow and started shooting several arrows at the back of the statue, trying to divert its attention from Shoram. Unfortunately, all her arrows cracked and dropped to the ground as they smashed against the iron. Lorial charged the statue with his staff and gave several hard strikes. This seemed to slightly hurt the statue, but then it turned around, and gave a blow to Lorial, which sent him flying through the room. The statue turned back to Shoram, and punch him in the stomach, which sent blood out of his mouth, and made him gasp for breath. Merileaf took her blade and charged the statue next. She gave several slashes to the statue, and managed to cut multiple holes in the iron. The statue turned around to face her and tried to punch her. Merileaf jumped out of the way in an agile motion and made another series of cuts. The statue seemed affected by the wounds, and was starting to move slower. It gave big swings with its iron arms, but missed every time, as Merileaf was moving faster than the statue could. Lorial came back and helped out with his staff by giving another series of strikes. Soon, the two of them managed to create a large amount of cuts, holes and bruises all over the statue, and it finally fell to the ground, and stopped moving. Merileaf rushed to Shoram and knelled next to him. He was bleeding from several places, and was barely breathing. He most likely had several internal injuries, and Merileaf didn't know how to help him: "Shoram.." He replied, in a quiet voice: "Go on.. Keep going." He coughed and then closed his eyes. She took him in her hands and hugged him, then slowly felt his life leave his wounded body. Tears appeared on her face, and she lay his body down on the ground, then stood back up. She looked at the statue motionless on the ground, then looked at Aaliva and Lorial. She wiped the tears from her face with her arm: "We need to keep going and find this dark elf." She went to the back door and hesitated for a second, then turned the handle. The door opened right away, and on the other side was a small hallway leading to a door. They made their way to the door, and slowly opened it. The room on the other side of that door was small and darkened. The lights were off, and they saw a bed taking most of the room, with someone sleeping in it. They quietly entered the room, then closed the door behind them. As they got near the bed, they noticed the person sleeping was a dark elf male. Merileaf drew her sword, then slowly brought it near the elf's neck. As the steel from the blade touched the skin, the elf woke up, then looked at them, an expression of surprise on his face. Merileaf told him, still holding her sword to his throat: "Don't make a sound, or you're dead." The elf cursed at them in an unknown language then looked at her and said: "Who are you, how did you get here?" She replied: "You first." He paused for a moment and said: "I'm Xephurabus, emissary from Queen Cristanos." She cut a thin band of cloth from the bed's sheets and gave it to Lorial: "Put this in front of his eyes." She then told the dark elf: "Stand up." He slowly complied, and she told Lorial: "Tie his hands." Tied and bound, the elf was led out of his room at the point of Merileaf's sword. He asked: "What do you intend to do now." Merileaf replied: "You're going to help us see the Emperor." They went through a series of deserted hallways, and eventually arrived to a large stairway leading up. On top of the stairway was a large room, with six orcs standing guard in front of a double wooden door. As the orcs saw them arrive up the steps, they tensed up and picked up their weapons. Merileaf shouted to the orcs: "Stand aside. We're here to see the Emperor, and this dark elf dies if you try to interfere." The orcs hesitated, then slowly moved away from the door. The adventurers moved to the door and opened it, making sure the orcs weren't trying anything. As they stepped through, they arrived in another large room. It had a large table in the middle with several chairs, tapestries hanging from the walls, and a small door on the side wall. The room had two orc guards, and a larger orc at the back wall, siting on a throne. The larger orc stood up and said, with a big accent: "Who you be? Why you in my castle?"

[Dendory]

Emperor Crushbone The large orc shouted in an unknown language at the other orcs, and the guards raised their weapons. As the two room guards charged them, Lorial closed the door to keep the seven outside guards from coming in. He locked it with a wooden plank and heard the orcs hit on the door from outside, in a vain attempt to enter. Merileaf took out her bow and shot two arrows at one of the guards, who fell to the ground. As the other guard got to her, with sword pointing forward, she pushed the dark elf toward it, still bound and tied. The dark elf impaled himself into the orc's sword, and both got thrown to the ground. As the orc stood up, Merileaf had drawn her sword, and slashed at the orc, opening a wide cut in its chest. The orc fell back down on the ground and layed down motionless. The Emperor yelled in anger, and said: "You face me now. I kill you!" He picked up a large wooden shield and an axe from the ground, and charged at the adventurers. Merileaf took her bow again and shot at the orc. The Emperor raised his shield and deflected all the arrows. Coming up to Merileaf, the Emperor raised his axe and struck. Merileaf jumped out of the way at the last second, and the axe struck nothing but air. Merileaf brought up her sword and slashed at the orc. The orc screamed in pain as the sword made a cut on his side, then raised his shield and bashed her with it. Merileaf was thrown to the ground, and the Emperor quickly brought down her axe for another strike. She rolled to her side and the axe missed her again by a few inches. At that point Lorial raised his staff and gave a big blow to the back of the orc. The Emperor turned around and bashed him in the face, which sent him flying through the air and crashing on a wall. Merileaf stood back up and struck again with her sword, opening another wound. The orc fell ots its knees, and Merileaf struck again, sending her sword through the orc's chest. The Emperor fell, and died on the ground. Lorial looked at the door, and hearing the orcs outside the door still trying to enter, he said: "We need to find Kethos and get out of here quickly." She nodded, and they went to the side door. They came on a small room, filled with weapons, armor, crates, and at the end of the room was a cage, with a prisoner. Merileaf shouted: "Kethos!" The prisoner looked up and a smile appeared on his face: "Meri! You came to save me!" She quickly opened the door and let Kethos out, and they hugged for several minutes. Aaliva came up to them and said: "I found a back door going to the courtyard, we can flee that way." Merileaf looked at Kethos: "Can you walk?" He nodded, and they headed out the door. The courtyard was filled with orcs running in various directions. The news about the fate of the Emperor had surely come through the ranks, and the orcs appeared panicked. They took advantage of the confusion, and slipped outside of Crushbone. As they walked home through the forest, Merileaf and Kethos kissed. Once again near her lover, she finally felt at peace. With the Emperor dead, the dark elf support removed, and the orcs in distress, Kelethin could bread easily once more. The forest felt calmer than ever, with birds being heard and small animals coming out to play. The survivors could go home, back to their lives, and Merileaf knew that the next hunt was waiting for her. The end.