Prophecy's Twilight: The Dark Elf #3/3

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hiya,
Me again, with the final installation of the Dark Elf saga, will Litni
go back home or continue to pursue the Heart of Darkness, she gets her
answer from an unexpected source, also a bran new look for our favorite
little elf.
Take care,
Cilia

PROPHECY'S TWILIGHT: THE DARK ELF

Chapter 3: The Journey

Poet watched from the shade of the trees as Litni tried on her new
armor, they had both spent the last few days healing and preparing
themselves for the journey they had to undertake. Light sneaked up next
to him, but failed, she always did, but then again he wasn't a master
spy for nothing.
"You really like her, don't you?" Light asked her big brother as
she looked over at Litni.
"Yes I think I do. She took me back after everything I did to
her," Poet replied. 
"That wasn't you," Light said firmly. "I know you and you don't
have that kind of darkness in you," she stated. 
"I wish I could believe that, little sister," Poet sighed. "But
I have been to the abyss' bottom and I know that nobody is pure of
spirit," he explained as his eyes drifted again to Litni. 
"She makes a fine candidate I'm sure," Light said with a grin.
"She's so innocent sometimes that it make my teeth ache," she explained.
"But she's fun!"
"I'm glad you are becoming friends," he stated. "But be careful,
losing friends can be painful," he said.
"Who said anything about losing either of you?" Light asked.
"I'm coming with you," she stated.
"No!" Poet said flatly. "That is completely out of the
question!"
"Yes and you need me," Light said. 
"How so?" Poet asked.
"Well I know for a fact that both of you can't cook and that
three shifts a night means more sleep on the road. And I can hold my own
in a fight and knowing you two there will be a fight. Also I feel that
if I don't go with you I will regret it all my life," she explained.
"Has mother approved?" Poet asked with a sigh.
"She has, but she says that she will take it out on your skin if
I'm harmed," Light replied with a smirk. "So when are we going?" she
asked.
"Not when little sister the question is where?" Poet stated.
"And that's up to our fearless leader," he said and they both looked
over to the smithy.

Litni lay in her bed and starred up at ceiling, she was running
scenarios through her mind, just like Tark, Willow and Al'x had thought
her. She was torn between her decisions, she wanted to go home, but the
Heart was still her mission. She was still awake when Lydia entered the
room to put out the torches. 
"What troubles you young elf?" she asked.
"The Heart of Darkness," she answered. "And my Angel is being
quiet," she added.
"The Heart," Lydia puffed. "It's just a black rock," she said
and waved her hand.
"But, it changed Poet and it makes the portals possible," Litni
said.
"Oh don't be silly, the Heart is just a rallying point young
elf," Lydia said. "It's the pooled might of the Priest Council that is
the real power," she explained.
"How do you...?"
"I have not always been the widow of a spy," she said with a
grin.
"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" Litni asked. "When
I was talking about..."
"Bursting in there, swords drawn, that's not a plan," Lydia said
in a gentle tone. "Now go to sleep and think about your plans, but know
that plans are underway to finish your mission and that when the war
comes the priest council will be scattered," she said with a secretive
smile and left the room leaving Litni to her thoughts.

It was a beautiful day when Litni, Poet and Light left Poet's family
estate, yet their goal remained uncertain. One of their options was to
ride back to Shrill and attempt to destroy the Heart, but that idea had
been shot down by Litni herself after Poet's mother had pointed out that
in the end the Heart was just a piece of rock. Second was to ride like
the wind and hope that they would arrive at the planes of Larken in time
for the battle that would surely follow. So they set there sights on the
nearest friendly port, the only friendly port, towards the setting sun,
in the trail of a hero that had hoped to be left alone.
"He won't be happy to see us," Litni said. "That was the whole
idea behind me taking over," she said. Her new armor was gleaming in
the sun the design was drow with a touch of Shadow influence. It was
black like Shadow's skin, it was something that Tark would disproved
above, showing skin because it's magical nature shielded her as well as
plates of steel and mythril.
"You are staring," Light whispered to her brother with a grin.
"We'd better pick up the pace," Litni said and drove her heels
into the horses side.
"Now you are drooling," Light teased as she drove her heels into
the sides of her mare and followed Litni.
"Well I'm... unused to that much display of skin," Poet said in
calm voice as he followed them.

They rode through the less traveled roads of the Empire, half buried
trade routes of a civilization long gone. It was getting colder as the
wind swept down from the northern pole of the world. Winter was
approaching and the time from war was running short, after a hard ride
that took it's toll on both and their horses. Litni's bare legs became
scratched as they rode through the thick undergrowth in the forest that
grew in the North of the Land of Shadows as they took the less traveled
routes. Light's horse broke its leg and had to be left behind at a
friendly homestead they'd encountered. It was a weary group that rode
into the Valley Sun, lined with tents and soldiers watching them as they
rode towards the castle of Sun.
"Halt," the guard at the gate said. "Who seeks admission?" he
asked.
"Champion Litni Speed, princess of the third house of Necris,"
she said in a loud voice. "I seek entrance," she said as the guard
shrank back at the sight of her ceremonial sword.
"Please enter, you'll find Master Sun in the main hall," he
said.
"Thank you," she nodded. 
"They are preparing for war," Poet said.
'Angel are you there, you have been quiet,' Litni asked her
companion.
'I have been monitoring things,' Angel answered.
'The Shadows are marching,' Poet joined the conversation. 
"Then lets hurry," Light said with a grin. "What?" she asked
innocently as they dismounted their horses and handed the reins to the
stable boys.

Al'x and Joyce Sun were huddled over the main halls long table, the old
champion was showing his age and Litni could swear his black hair was
now more grey than black, but his beard was gone and his armor was jet
black. Joyce was the very sight of vigor and vitality, a true avatar of
fire and war, she was in her element here.
"Lord Al'x Sun," the Guard at the door announced. "Your Champion
has returned," he said and Litni entered the hall with Poet and Light
flanking her.
"My Lord," Litni said with a bow. 
"You have returned," Al'x said calmly as Joyce stood and hugged
Litni, but looked verily at Poet with fire in her eyes.
"Angel freed me," Poet explained.
"This is Light," Litni said motioning for Light to step forth.
"What's the news?" she asked.
"The Shadows are marching on Necris and Larken," Al'x explained.
"We are preparing to march to aid the Alliance," he said.
"So you are going to help?" Litni asked. "I thought..."
"My sunset has not come," Al'x said. "Also this is war and war
does not apply to the whims of old men," he said.
"Where is your daughter?" Poet asked.
"She's with friends to the far south," Joyce said. "She should
be safe there," she said.
"Good, war is no place for children," Poet nodded.
"What's the plan?" Litni said as she bent over the maps.
"We'll march fast through the Argonian pass and there through
the Forest into either Necris or Larken, Willow will contact with me
once I am in range," he explained. "We did it like that in the old
days," he explained with the wistful smile on his face.
"So you need a couple of weary adventures for your army?" Litni
asked with a grin. "We're heading the same way anyways," she added.
"Who am I to refuse the daughter of the third house," Al'x said
with a grin.
"Have you heard from my fath... Tark?" Litni asked.
"No, but fear not he'll show up when we'll need him, Theris is
with him and she's like that," Joyce said as she sat down at the table
and motioned for Poet and Light to sit.
"So let us plan," Poet said. "We'll need a strategy for all
scenarios," he explained and Al'x grinned.
"What about the Heart?" Joyce asked. "Did you destroy it?" she
asked.
"The Heart is just a piece of rock," Litni said firmly as she
unrolled a map of Necris. "The Heart is just a piece of rock," she
stated again firmly and grasped Poet's hand under the table. Her time
had come, their time had come and the things Willow had warned them
about, told them to be ready for was finally upon them. The Eternal War
was set a foot once more.	

To be continued in Twilight's War