Elf

He had already checked the burning and destroyed huts of the settlement looking for survivors of the wild elven raid of the orc settlement.

He needed to check the last building, the shed where the orcs keeped the wargs, and so, he limped slowly, with his cane ready, into the building.

He hate wargs, and it was possible there was one of them there.

He pushed the door, and suddendly, a shadow attacked him, waving at him a stick as a club:

He reflected the attack with his cane, and he swung his cane in a sharp downward stroke, hitting the attacker -other of these filthy renegades- in her shoulder, making her stumble.

Without giving her an oportunity to recover, he swung his cane down low; knocking her legs out from under her.

The elf woman falled to the ground of the sheed... she tried to stand up, as Hastur raised the cane to bring down a final blow, when suddendly, while crying, two orc children jumped from under a haystack, attacking him.

"STUPID KIDS!!!" yelled Hastur, surprised by the sudden furious attack of the orc children, trying to bite and hit him "I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU!! STOP THAT!!!"

"Leave Fluffy!!!"

"Leave me!!"

"I told you to keep hidding no matter!! Escape now!!" cried Fluffy to the little orcs...

...Hastur the Cripple was ready to finish that miserable renegade who make herself call a wild elf, an "orc killer", when they where truly only criminals and mad dogs as bad or even worse than orcs...

But the sudden apparition of orc children, hitting, biting and kicking him...

trying to protect the elf woman?

"I told you to keep hidding no matter!! Escape now!!" cried the elf woman to the little orcs...

She speaked in Antorian Orc. What was happening?

The orc children keep hitting him, and despise their size, it wasn't only annoying, but it was hurting him.

"Stop that!! I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU FROM THAT INSANE ELF!" He yelled in orcish, trying to push away the kids.

"We are trying to save Fluffy from the Insane elf! Leave her alone!!" answered the girl, angry.

"Please! Please Mr. Orc killer! Leave the kids go!!" begged the elf...

This was definitively weird, thinked Hastur, as he twisted even more the arm of the elf, who cried in pain, obligating her to lay in the floor. Why the orcs defended her? Why she care about the orcs? A slave, maybe?

She didn't had any iron collar or chains in her. She can't be a slave from the orcs then... but what she is?

He leaved his cane, and looked around in the shed, seeing some ropes the orcs used as reins for their wargs, and he dragged without any care the female elf across the barn.

He picked then the ropes, and without contemplation, ignoring the orc brats hitting hom, he tied the female elf, who moaned as he twisted her arms in her back.

He make her roll then, and proceeded to tie her ankles...

Suddendly, he stopped his work, and with a surprised face he looked alternatively the foots of the elf woman and her face.

"H-How... How did you get that scar?" he said to the woman in his own elven language. She seemed troubled to answer, thinking slowly, before she speaked elven...

She speaked with a heavy orc accent, and her elven was like the one learned from Kanov and human traders, rather than a native wild elf speaker.

"Wich scar... Mr. Orc Killer?"

"I HAVEN'T KILLED ORCS IN YEARS! DON'T CALL ME THAT YOU RENEGADE!" Hastur answered angry. The elf woman whimpered.

She had the same golden hair. He tried to calm down.
"In the sole of your right foot. The scar who resemble like a butterfly. How did you get it?"

She didn't seemed to understand. She looked at him with her blue eyes in interrogation.
The same blue eyes...

He tried again, asking her in orcish.

"That scar? I... I don't know sir. It's there since I have memory"

Hastur looked the blonde hair of her, and then to the scar that looked like a butterfly.

He looked to her blue eyes, and then to the scar in her foot.

He looked at her face, her ears...
The scar. The same scar she get as a toddler, from stepping over a hot coal. The mark of the butterfly..
That was the eyes of her mother. She disapeared in a slave market, sold to the far north. He never know of her again...
That skin was of her father. A good elf hunter, he was killed by a wild boar during a Hunt, some months after she was born. He wasn't there. A hunter who can't run isn't useful.

but her hair... that blonde hair... it was the hair of her aunt Naemae.
HIS Naemae. The love of his life, who was hunted and killed by orcs, and when in the rage to avenge her, against the wishes of the elders of his village, he gain revenge, a stained soul, hands covered in blood and a broken leg who never healed completely.

He falled to the floor.

"Naemae?" he asked out loud

The orc childrens take the oportunity to renovate their assault, bitting and kicking him.

He realized in his rage, he almost killed her own niece.
The long lost niece, He have searched for so long...

he almost killed her. He killed many other elfs, this day. They where renegades. assassins. Orc killers... but any of them could have been HIS Naemae...

It have been some days since the attack of that small orc settlement, when the band of the Orc Killers where ordered by their commander to leave with the unfinished job, to reorganizate the force who was too excited in the raiding and looting, rather to fight, and due some problems, it was showed that the band was in no way capable of facing orc reinforcements...

They retreated, but the job wasn't done: the ruins of the village still stood there, and there where several of their warriors lost, so some patrols of scouts where ordered to explore the attacked settlement, to find what happened, and if they could return to finish the job, if there was no danger in it...

A canoe sailed across the powerful stream of the river to the northern band, and the two scouts, after hidding their small craft in the herbs, walked in silence hidding in the trees of the riverside, aproaching to the orc settlement...

"As I thinked" said one of the scouts to the other. "They haven't leaved the ruins, to treat their wounded... they don't think we could came back to finish them."

"Surely, they have sended for reinforces... you know the orcs are allways treacherous creatures!...

" A trap? No way!" reposed the other. "Let's count them to be sure, before we return with the info"

" A trap? No way!" reposed the other wild elven scout. "Let's count them to be sure, before we return with the info"

They didn't noticed somebody was aproaching them from their backs, in silence, until it was to late: Somebody picked their heads, and violently, clashed them together.

The wild elven girls falled to the ground, but with a single hit, despise how powerful, is not that easy to leave senseless an enemy... one of the 'Orc Killer' scouts tried to stand up and pick from the floor her fallen spear, when the attacker hitted her again with his cane.

Hastur looked to the two defeated scouts... for their long hair and clothes, these where from the maeloran tribe... what where they doing so far away from their homes, he doesn't know...

but from what he heared, he know he must return quickly to the ruins of the orc village to warn her niece and the others about the possible return of the renegades...

and what to do with these girls? Some days ago, he will just have ended their lifes as murderers and thieves with just some sharp blows of his cane... but after what he lived, he doubted what to do with them...

"ugh. I hate the Fat unicorn"

"what?!" said incredulous the orc girl, looking perplexed to Hastur.

She wasn't the only one: All the orcs and Fluffy, piled together in one of the few last remaining huts of the attacked orc settlement, where surprised.

"What?!" said Hastur, incorporating from his bed.

"What kind of monster you are, to not LOVE the Fat Unicorn?!" said Mataelfo

"Oh, come on, I can't be the only one to think so!! Naemae! Help me!"

Fluffy didn't recogniced what was her true name, and keep cuddling in the lap of Mataelfo...

"Naemae!"

"oh! sorry uncle! you speak to me?" she said

"What you think about the Fat Unicorn?"

"I love it! Everybody love it!" she said, smiling.

"Blej. How did one of THESE here, anyway?" asked Hastur.

"I did it myself" answered Fluffy. "Once Mataelfo as a kid see other orc child with one, and he demanded between his huffing and puffing one for himself!"

"Ahhh... Well, people coping and re-making the original make sense, otherwise I didn't know how the hell I end allways finding one of these everywhere" said Hastur.

Outside, the rain keep falling. It was coming the wet season.

"Uncle... why do you hate the Fat Unicorn? Everybody Love the Fat Unicorn!" asked Fluffy.

"Let's say I have bad memories and a debt in relation to one... and also, I don't like the original creator of it. He is a bastard."

Slowly, the orcs fall again to sleep, meanwhile ourside keep falling the rain.

Hastur tried to sleep, but he was unable, between all these orc snoring...

How long ago was the attack of the orc settlement? Maybe a week ago?

It was a busy week... helping to take care of the wounded, buring the dead... and getting to know again her long lost niece... she was now all a woman, and he lost all her childhood... but she was alive, by miracle...

He looked tenderly to Naemae... she really looked like her mother and her aunt she was name after...

What he can't understand is how she ended marring that giant brute... even more disturbing, was the thought of the lovely little girl he raised in her first years of live, laying with an orc... an orc warrior, what is worse, and son of the orc who stealed her Naemae from his arms...

Fluffy... what a ridiculous name! Proper of orcs without imagination...

"Naemae..." he said, quietly, in wild elfic.

"yes Hastur? said in her accented elfic Fluffy... really, it was clear she learned most of it from traders, rather as mother-thong...

It seems, she only remembered from her childhood before being enslaved, just to mumble some melodies, her mother singed to her before sleeping.

"You should cut your hair. You look like a boy with such long hair!"

"But I like my hair..."

"Well... you are an elf from Al'Jathis... the men of Al'Jathis use long hair, short hair is what a proper Al'Jathis lady use!"

"Oh, I'm not a proper Al'jathis lady" reposed the scarred girl. "I'm a Fluffly!"

Hastur sighted... it really doesn't matter, anyway.

"Naemae..."

"Uncle?"

"You know, I catched other two elves today... they are secured in the Warg shed, along the other prisioners..."

"What will you do with them?"

"I... I don't know. Anyway. Before I captured them, I learned that the renegade wild elf band may return, to end their work..."

"... what will we do?"

"We must leave to the south... to Thilien! my sister live there along with other survivors of our old tribe..."

"Thilien? Isn't that High elven lands?"

"Yes... I hate them as well, but there maybe we could build again Al'Jathis!"

"I will not be able to wring my husband and the others around in such case..."

"Come on, they are orcs!"

"Is my husband, wounded and orphans. I can't leave them" reposed Fluffy.

"Orphans. Pfft! Please don't say that you haven't noticed their freckles. Half of them must be your husband sons and daughters!"

" Still. They lost their mothers, and the family of Mataelfo is my family."

"If he already had children with other orcs, sooner or later, he will forget you! He is an orc!"

"He had them before he married with me. And I'm his only wife."

"He can allways take other wives. Orc wives, and you will be nothing but a pet or a slave again." answered angry Hastur.

Fluffy didn't answered, and hugged her husband... he was sleeping.

"I'm not leaving my family"

"They are orcs!"

"They are my family"

"We can't stay here."

"We can return to Brukuthuz"

"...until there somebody deside to eat you one time your 'hubby' isn't around, or something like that happened... and there, will be no place for me. We must go to Thilien."

"I will not leave my family behind" said determinated Fluffy.

"But we must go somewhere. The Orc Killers will return"

"...maybe if we go somewhere, where there is no hate between orcs and elves? Where we can live together?"

"Such places doesn't exist" said Hastur.... but he thinked for a moment... "unless..."

"I Told You So. I KNEW that there where elfs here!"

"Pfftt! Elfs! These aren't elfs!"

"No, ah? And then what they are?"

"D'UH. OBVIOUSLY They are dryads."

"No. They are elfs!"

"Dryads!"

"Oh, you two shut up. Dryads or Elfs, you know what this mean: the hunting grounds of the Duke are plaged with pointy-ears vermin, and will be our duty to clean them."

As the soldiers advanced toward the trap, the two "Leaf Elfs", or Mourlicoun as they call themselves, characteristic for their green or greenish skin tonnes, where arguing in their language, between whisperings...

"I Told You So! DON'T GRAB THAT!! Why are you so careless?! How could you activate the trap?! It was AN OBVIOUS trap!"

"It had a beautiful flower!"

"A beautiful flower? What were you thinking?!"

"But IT IS beautiful!" she said, showing the flower she grabed to her friend.

"This is why I hate walking with you!!!"

"Come, Gather near
so you can hear
without a trace of fear
the tale of the Mightiest
of the Goblin Kingdoms

Once upon a time, after a great Invasion to the surface, The Great Goblin was defeated, and his vast armies where dead or dispersed by the damned worms that drag themselves under the opressive yellow-light-that-scorch.

He came back, defeated, and so, he had to face the destiny of these who have lost: But, even when he came alone, he brought with him a Item so powerful, that the defeat looked like something insignificant in comparison:

The Great and Powerful talisman was collected by the Great Goblin, after a long adventure, from a column of what the surface worms call "woode", where the powerful magic item was hanging.

A Talisman so powerful, like no one was ever seen before by any Cave Goblin of Kazrrad before:

the RED APPLE

Quickly, the Great Goblin ordered to crimp the Apple to his Iron Crown.
The stupid blacksmith/slave, a surface worm with pointy hears, and his retarded babbling claiming that the fantastic item was a fruit, was quickly discarded, once he finished the vital job for the Great Goblin Empire.

In the long time the Apple was in the Crown, the Empire of the Bloody Apple lived a golden era of prosperity...

But due the sins of the un-believers of the Magical Power of the Bloody Apple, the magnificent Talisman of power and prosperity, slowly lost his power, and began to decay:

And since then, the alarmed Hordes of the empire of the BLOODY APPLE, had begun launching several Holy Wars, to recuperate the favor of the Gods and the Holy Apple:

But it doesn't matter how much holy wars, how much blood is spilled by sacrifical knives over the Apple of the Crown, every time they are able to get their hands over again a new re-incarnation of The APPLE, this decay once more, due the unlawful sins of the non believers...

and the circle must began again!

Появление Человечества, как его также называли Высшие Эльфы — «Эпоха Вторжений», ознаменовало начало новой эры и конец эльфийской эпохи гегемонии.

В Позднюю Эльфийскую Эпоху Империя Высших Эльфов Уайд Аксис, а также другие вассальные и союзные государства Высших Эльфов расширили сферу влияния Высших Эльфов на континенты Ушаэнор, Аэльс и Зархуй после поражения своих главных противников — Тёмных Эльфов Хаке.

Эта империалистическая экспансия, завоевания и войны против «варваров и дикарей» — других эльфов — и «зверей и монстров» — не-эльфов — внезапно прекратились с появлением Людей.

Однако первыми вторжениями «Эпохи Вторжений» были не люди, а различные виды, вынужденные бежать от новоприбывших...

Потому что Люди (как и их кузены Кановы) были совершенно не похожи на любого предыдущего захватчика, включая Высших Эльфов.

Люди и Кановы хотели владеть своими землями исключительно, и ни с кем другим, кроме себя.

Варианты на человеческих территориях стали: бежать, умереть или ассимилироваться.

И импульс человеческой экспансии вскоре почти уничтожил первый вариант после первых столетий расширения, за исключением земель, нежеланных для людей и кановов, — суровых пустынь, грубых нагорий и неприступных гор... или рас, сумевших противостоять экспансивному импульсу.

Но для нечеловеческих видов, считавших, что дела и так плохи, стало ещё хуже.

Стало ещё хуже, когда человеческие религии с верой в то, что только их вера истинна — даже исключая другие человеческие религии — и их миссионерское видение стали одной из сил, управлявших человеческими обществами.

Ислам в основном в Зархуе и частях южного Аэльса, Хейокса и Ушаэнора, и Христианство в Аэльсе и северном Ушаэноре, Иудаизм в степях центрального Аэльса, а также другие в Хейоксе (например, Буддизм).

В элианском христианском человечестве и их королевствах и империях, построенных на руинах колоний побеждённых Высших Эльфов, осталось множество других нечеловеческих видов.

И позже (особенно с началом Эпохи Демонов, с появлением «демонов», как их назвали в результате политического хода Церкви, чтобы получить власть перед Императором) эти виды стали ещё более уязвимыми.

Конклав Епископов в Ла Крус после долгих обсуждений определил:

1. Что чёрные люди Зархуя не имеют души, и их кожа черна из-за их грехов. То же самое относилось к братьям человечества — Кановым.

2. Нехристиане должны быть обращены, чтобы спасти их души. Люди бинезской и зархуйской рас не избраны Богом, но должны быть просвещены.

3. Эльфы, Дварфы и Орки когда-то были людьми, но из-за своих грехов были прокляты самим Богом.

Оставляя в стороне пункты 1 и 2, которые сами по себе вызвали огромное количество войн и разрушений, пункт 3 также имел серьёзные последствия.

Одна из сект Христианства, так называемые «Искупители», в свете этого божественного откровения, переданного епископами в Ла Крус, определила, что, поскольку эти нечеловеческие виды КОГДА-ТО были людьми (так как в Библии они не упоминались), они имеют душу, и даже если их грехи обезобразили их, их долг — спасти их души и вернуть этих чёрных овец в стадо Господне.

Так секта Искупителей начала свою работу по спасению душ.

ЕРЕСЬ ИСКУПИТЕЛЕЙ

Священники, Монахини и миссионеры секты Искупителей сосредоточили свою работу на покорённых нечеловеческих популяциях в христианских королевствах Аэльса.

Остатки поселенцев колоний Высших Эльфов — «Серые Эльфы», а также Эльфы Прерий — «Флери», а также Кановы, Дварфы и Великаны — и благодаря их фанатичной вере, сочетанию запугивания, пыток, смешения и синкретизации нечеловеческих религиозных верований, освобождения от рабства и налогов при обращении, а также добрым делам и харизматичным проповедникам, их работа была очень успешной, с массовыми обращениями эльфов Флери в христианство (к ужасу Епископов Ла Крус, к ереси, более близкой к православным христианам Услена).

Тем временем на северо-западе Аэльса многие Дварфы и Серые Эльфы также стали христианами.

ОДНАКО многие в секте Искупителей не считали, что одного обращения достаточно.

Бог проклял этих бывших людей за их ужасные грехи видимыми проклятиями, и чтобы Душа исцелилась, тела должны были сделать то же самое: и практики самобичевания или ритуального бичевания стали нормой среди этих новых христиан-искупителей.

Эльфы согрешили Похотью, Роскошью и Ленью и были наказаны долгой жизнью, чтобы они не могли наслаждаться радостью Рая и застряли в этом мире, с малым потомством, а также неестественной слабостью и заострёнными ушами, показывающими их грехи.

Дварфы согрешили Жадностью, Скупостью и Гордыней. Из-за этого Бог осудил их жить в погоне за богатством, властью и статусом, а за Гордыню проклял их малым ростом, чтобы они чувствовали унижение от своих смертных грехов.

Орки согрешили Чревоугодием, Гневом и Завистью, и из-за этого из людей они стали зелёными из-за Гнева и Зависти, а за чревоугодие они стали вечно голодными, с пожирающей страстью к любой пище, и их клыки выросли.

Секта искупителей не требовала крещения, чтобы отречься от этих «неестественных тел», но самобичевание всячески поощрялось.

Если они хотели, чтобы их души были спасены, они должны были очистить и свои тела.

Орков заставляли вырывать клыки и вести жизнь Доброты, Терпения и Умеренности.

Дварфов — сбривать бороды и волосы и вести жизнь Смирения и Благотворительности.

И наконец, эльфам отпиливали уши до человеческого размера и предписывали жизнь в Целомудрии и Прилежании.

Это бичевание чаще всего было самопричиняемым, как проявление веры, но в других случаях, как с рабами и военнопленными, его могли применять насильно.

Однако, несмотря на травму, которую это означало, «отпиленные эльфы», как их презрительно называли, имели важное преимущество в очень нетерпимых человеческих обществах: в отличие от обращённых орков или дварфов (за исключением некоторых более мелких или крупных дварфов, которые могли сойти за невысоких людей или людей с генетическим карликовостью), отпиленные эльфы могли часто сойти за людей.

И это открывало перед ними многие двери, которые раньше были закрыты.

И именно тогда Церковь начала смотреть на секту искупителей с негодованием.

Они допускали в свои ряды священников и монахинь из нелюдей, и их усилия по обращению нелюдей позволяли им проникать в человеческие общества, а их грязная грешная кровь оскверняла кровь народа, избранного самим Богом для управления миром.

Итак, наконец, секта искупителей была объявлена Ересью и преследовалась с применением всей мощи христианской церкви Северо-Западного Аэльса.

Однако ущерб уже был нанесён: после этого скрещивание между людьми и нелюдями только продолжалось, как и синкретизм и ассимиляция других видов в человечество...

"I don't know father... I was meditating a bit more about all this thing, and mayybe being bautized isn't much my thing...
Look, I don't feel ready... maybe some more catechesis?"

"Shut up. We are saving souls here boy.
So less do this quick:

You want them in any particular shape, or you leave me to choose?"

*GLUP*

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Apparition of Humanity, as well called by the High Elfs the "Age of Invasions", marked the beginning of a new era, and the end of the Elfic era of Hegemony:

In the Late Elfic Age, the High Elf Empire of Whide Axis, as well other vassal and allies High Elf states extended the High Elf sphere of influence over the continents of Ushaenor, Aels and Zarhuy, after the defeat of their main oponents, the Hake Dark Elfs.

This imperialistic expansion, conquering and wars against "barbarians and savages" -other elfs- and "beasts and monsters" -non-elfs- ended suddendly, with the apparition of Humans:

However, the first invasions of the "Age of Invasions" weren't humans, but various species, forced to escape from the new arrived...

Because, the Humans (as well their Kanov cousins) where completely different that any previous invader, the High Elfs included:

The Humans and Kanovs wanted their lands with exclusivility, and with no one else aside from them:

The option in Human territories become: Escape, Die or be Assimilated.

And the impulse of the human expansion, soon make almost disapear the first option, after the first centuries of expansion, with the only exception of lands unwanted by the humans and kanovs, agrest deserts, rough highlands and impassable mountains... or races who where able to resist the expansive impulse.

But, for the non-human species, who thinked things where already bad, they turned to worse:

They turned to worse, when the Human religions, with the faith of being the only true one -even excluding other human religions-, and their missionary vision, became one of the powers that ruled the human societies:

The Islam largelly in Zarhuy and parts of south Aels, Hieyoks and Ushaenor, and the Christianity in Aels and north Ushaenor, the Jewish in the steppes in central Aels, as well others in Hieyoks (as the Buddism, as an example).

In the Aelian Christian Humanity and their kingdoms and empires, builded upon the ruins of the colonies of the defeated High Elfs, there remained large amounts of other non-human species:

And latter (specially upon the beginning of the Age of Demons, with the aparition of the "demons", as where called in a political move by the Church to gain a hold of power in front of the Emperor), these species where even more targeted.

The Conclave of Bishops in La Cruz, determinated, after long discussions, decided:
1.- That the black humans of Zarhuy didn't had a soul, and their skin was black due their sins. The same applied to the brothers of humanity, the Kanovs.

2.- The non-christians where to be converted, to save their souls. People of the Binese and Zarhuy human races wheren't choosen by god, but where to be iluminated

3.- The Elfs, Dwarfs and Orcs where once human, but due their sins, they where cursed by god himself.

Leaving aside the points 1 and 2, that alone caused an enorme amount of wars and destruction, the 3rd point as well had large consecuences:

One of the Sects of Christianity, the called "Redemptionists", in face of this ilumination of god, consignated by the bishops in La Cruz, determinated that, since once these non-human species ONCE where human, as according to the bible they didn't where mentionated, they had a soul, and even if their sins make them be desfigurated, it was their duty to save their souls, and turn these black sheeps again to the Lord's flock.

So the Redentionist sect began their work of saving souls:

THE REDEMPTIONIST HERESY

The Priests, Nuns and missionaries of the Redemptionist sect centratedb then their work in the subyugated populations in the Christian Human Kingdoms of Aels:

The remaments of settlers of High Elfs colonies, the "Grey Elfs", as well the Elfs of the Prairies, the "Flairie", as well Kanovs, Dwarfs and Gigants, and due their fanatical faith, a mix of intimidation, tortures, mixing and sincreting the non-human religious beliefs, liberation of slavery and of taxes when converting, as well good works and some charismatic preachers, they work was very sucsessful, with the convertions of mass of the Flairie elfs to the christianity (with horror to the Bishops of la Cruz, to an heressy more close to the ortodox christians of Uslen)

Meanwhile, in the North West of Aels many Dwarfs and Grey Elfs become christians as well:

HOWEVER, many in the Redemptionist sect didn't think that the conversion was enough:

God cursed these former-humans for their horrible sins, with visible curses, and for the Soul to heal, it was needed the bodies to do the same: and practices of self-flagellation, or ritual flagellation, become normal among these new Redemptionist christians:

The Elfs sinned of Lust, Luxury and Sloth, and where punished with a long live, so they can't enoy the joy of Paradise, and are stucked in this world, and with few offspring, as well unnatural weakness and pointy ears that show their sins.

The Dwarfs sinned of Greed, Codice and Pride.
Because of that, God condemned them to live pursuiting wealth, power and status, and for being to Pride, they where cursed with a short size, so they feel humilliated by their deadly sins.

The Orcs sinned of Gluttony, Wrath and Envy, and because of that, of humans, they became Green because of Anger and Envy, and for their gluttony, they became allways hunger, with a vore to eat anything, and their fangs growed:

The Redemptionist Sect didn't impossed to be baptized to renounce to these "un-natural bodies", but the self-flaggelation was highly encouraged:

If they wanted their souls to be saved, they must clean their bodies as well:

The Orcs where forced to tear out their fangs, and live out lifes of Kindness, Patience and Temperance.

The Dwarfs to shave their beards and hairs, and had a live of Humility and Charity.

And finally, the elfs where to sawed-off their ears to human size, and to live with Chastity and Diligence.

This Flagellation most of the times was self-inflicted, as a show of faith, but other times, as with slaves and war prisioners, may be forced:

However, despise the trauma this meaned, the "sawed-off elfs", as they where despectively called, had an important adventage in the very intolerant Human societies, and where, that in difference to the converted orcs or Dwarfs (exeption some smaller or larger dwarfs, who can pass as small humans, or human genetic dwarfs), the sawed-off elfs where able to pass many times as humans.

And this opened to them many doors which where before closed:

And that was when the Church began to see with angry eyes the Redemptionist sect:

They leave become priests and nuns in their ranks non-humans, and their efforts in converting non-humans, where leaving them enter in the human societies, and their filthy sinner blood was contaminating the blood of the people choosen by god himself to rule the world.

So, finally, the Redemptionist Sect was declarated a Heresy, and was pursuited and eliminated with all the weight of the power of the Christian church of North Western Aels:

However, the damage was already done: after that, the cross-breding between humans and non-humans only continued, as well the sincretism and assimilation of other species into humanity...

Two Dwarf battle maidens, from the Mine of Halldârak...

along with a little dwarf girl, and her Dwarf Maiden doll

In the far north of Aels and in Near Hieyoks, there existed the wild rumors about the existence of only male Dwarfs, or that their female have beards as well:

However, these rumors do have a base from which they originated: in the extremely patriarchal society of the Dwarf civilizations of the north, the female dwarfs are to be protected deep in their fortresses and keeps, safe from the dangers of Aiers, never to be seen by foreigners –be non-dwarves, or dwarves from other mines-. In some cases, this included as well other male dwarves that weren’t from the families, and if the females had to leave the security of their mines, they did it under the disguise of fake beards to hide themselves.  

But anybody who travel to the south of Aels and north of Zarhuy will find other Dwarven civilizations and cultures, much more opened than the northern isolationists cities: they weren’t only open for trade to other species, but as well to live among them –being common to find dwarves in villages and towns of humans and other species, which included as well, female dwarves: and in these southern mines, there doesn't exist the custom of the fake beards to cover the faces of their women.

While in the southern Dwarf mines, the warriors and miners are still mostly men, dwarven women aren’t relegated only to domestic tasks but take an active part in the economy of their mines, and as well can be part of the City guard and Militias, and some noble-woman may enter in Military Orders.

Other interesting point about the dwarfs of Aels and Zarhuy, is that they normally wear for special occasions and celebrations their armors, as a Dwarf is seemed to be an Adult, with vote and voice, when it can carry arms, so for an un-warned visitant in a day of Market or religious festivity, he may think the dwarfs are going to war…

The old elf knocked the door from his bathroom, as he asked in his accented Negeémi drow.

"Shall I pass?"

"Yes!" answered one from the drow girls from inside, and so, he crossed the door.

"You said I could pass!" said he then, a bit perplexed, as the nude drows where still drying up from the bath they take.

However, the dark elves didn't seem to mind that fact, and he mumbled to himself "drows"

He leaved then the clothes he bringed for them over a shelf... the clothes they where using rendered useless after the drows 'adventure' in the swamp.

"Sorry... but don't you happen to had six pairs of painties?" asked one of the drows, as she looked the old -male- clothes from the elf

"I'm sorry, but I don't collect girlie panties in my house"

He was going to leave... it was a long day and he wanted to rest, as well he supposed the drows after whatever they have passed needed as well, but he was somewhat worried that if he went to sleep they will cut his troath... one could never really know with drows...

He looked to them for a moment, and suddendly the short haired one increpated him.

"Do you like what you see, old geezer?!"

"What I see, is that you girls weren't born slave" He answered. "And most likely, you where slaves when you tried to escape and ended there in my swamp, as the iron collar and tags clearly demostrate, as well the rests of these domestic high elf slave you where dressing.

Is weird to see a drow so in the south, and even more weird to find three Negeémi drow, but not too long ago I have stumbled with other, and I know sometimes the High Elves in Vanilion like to buy 'exotic and luxury' elves for their harems...

but what puzzle me is the ear tag. You don't tag a luxury slave girl with a eart-tag..."

He picked then a knife, and aproached to Ivoÿn, who reacted alarmed.

"Don't worry, I only want to cut the tag. Obviously as well, you weren't trained slaves, either"

He cutted from Ivoÿn ear the slave tag, to read him, as he keep speaking.

"So, being marked, and untrained, you wheren't luxury slaves... but you girls are too far away from home...

WRALL & SON PROPERTY" readed then the old elf from the tag.

"We are no ones property" answered the drow with the short hair.

"Strange. The last time I was in Negeémiliel, the drows had as well slavery as acepted part of society... but that was so long ago...

Anyway. You should know, that as escaped slaves, I could or return you to your owners, or keep them for myself..."

"You will not dare!!!"

"I don't want to. But tomorrow, we need to do something about these iron collars and tags, or otherwise, anybody else who stumble with you could enslave you without anyproblem...

But is to late, and I want to sleep. I have prepared as well some beds for you in the main hall, and please use the clothes I bringed... Is not that I don't like the sight of a nude female, but it would me maybe too distracting.

Good night"

The old High elf leaved then the bathroom, as he walked to his room... but despise what he said, he needed time to think... and he would sleep only when he was sure the surprise guests will not try to do some surprise to him when they think he sleeped...

It seemed, he wasn't the only one with the idea of staying awake to do the watch...

but the drow woman falled asleep in the armchair, with a broomstick falling from her hands... and so, between the sleeping drows and his sword, there was nothing but a blanket...

And he doubted.

He become an hermit, wanting to search for his interior calm, leave his impulses, and find knowledge... he renounced to his prejudgements and the ones of his kind, and he sweared to renounce vengance. He made an oath...

but they where drows.

Is not that he had a prejudgement, that all the drows are twisted, evil and treacherous monsters... he do have personal experience with them...

memories he doesn't want to remember...

three years with no sun, no wind, and no hope, in the underworld of Kazrrad... and of them, half of that time he was in a drow dungeon...

It will be anything but justice, if he swinged his sword.
He made an oath.

What kind of justice is the one who fall over the heads of the innocent?
They are drows: No drow is innocent!!

They are just three girls sleeping...
Three women. Three drow women, the worse of their kind.

Even their children aren't innocent.
He still remember the girl who killed her daughter. She was just a girl.

It was their society, not their fault.
They are drow, is their fault! They builded their society!

they have done nothing to him.
They killed his daughter.

She was around their age...
the girl who killed her daughter must be around of the same age than her as well by now...
she was a nice girl.
They killed her daughter.

He had a daughter of their same age.
A drow daughter.
Could it be, one of them is her daughter?
the mother was a monster.

They are drow. They are monsters.
They are three girls you saved from death in a swamp. What kind of elf do you think you are?

You can't give life, so don't bring death.
They are drows.
They are girls.
They are Negeémi drows.
They aren't Acolytes of Negeé.
What if they are?
They didn't killed your daughter.
They could be your daughter...

... his thoughts were disrupted, and disapeared in the air, as one of the drows yawned, before rolling in the bed and continuing to sleep.

It was all clear now, and he told to himslef:

"Hey! You have already saved them. Was it a mistake or not - only the time will show... Now you have no way back. If you can't sleep - go to your smithy. If your hands are itching - go and scratch them! Don't touch the girls! In the worst case, treat them as prisoners of war. In the best case... try to find if they can be grateful."

he was leaving the room, determinated to go and clear his mind working in his forge, when he looked again to the drow sleeping on the couch...

He smiled, and picked her up, being surprised how light she was... still with the broomstick in her hands, he carried her sleeping to the bed he prepared to them.

"Anyway, is difficult to hate the drow... when they are sleeping like this, anyway...

And if I do something so terrible, I will be worse than what I hate... and on a more practical point, If I did that, there isn't around that lame bastard to clean up..."

He placed the drow girl dressed in one of his old shirts in the bed, covering her with a blanket...

just like he did many decades ago, with her daugher...

It was clear. If he decide to keep them in house he must talk to them. He must ask them to tell their story, and also will tell them his story. This is the only chance to achieve some trust to each other...

Otherwise he has to get rid of them... and not in that way his fears and doubts wanted, like he may have done in other, turbulent times... If he need to get rid of them, he will bring them to a safe place and let them go...

...

Stupid Hastur isn't home. Where should he have leave the coal from the forge?

He hated when he did that. That lame bastard...

...As Belád Bonceduil, the white Hermit, was working in his smithy, trying to ease his mind with work, still his mind keep wandering to the painful memories of the past...

He heared some birds flying away, as well some leads being moved, so he knew somebody was coming: he knew his swamp, but he expected some wild elves of the closest village called Al'Jathis, wanting to exchange some of their fruits for some of his work, or even some of the monsters that wander in the swamps of Saahdons... But there was standing a elven ranger, a female swordwoman he didn't recogniced.

"Good day father!" she said, as she aproached, smiling

The white hermit was clearly perplexed, and didn't know what to say.

"Don't you recognice you own daughter? because you are the same!"

"Sarinee?" mumbled Belád, incredulous... the last time when he see her, before he breake with his wife, family and the High Elves, as well with the Hidden Kingdom of Rohnion, she was only a girl beginning her puberty... and now, she was a full grown woman, and a ranger in unknow armor.

"Surely you managed to hide well, in this hole! It was difficult to track you down! What a place to live!"

He didn't know how to react... he had his reasons to breake with his past... but it was something never a daughter could never understand or forgive...

After he leaved, he keep correspondence with his daughter for years, until one time, she asked him to stop writing and to rooth in hell, and she never answered again other of his letters... and finally, he stopped sending them as well...

After so many years, he was happy to see her daughter, who was a bundle of joy in these dark days... but why she have come now?

"I see, you are now a ranger of the Hidden Kingdom of Rohnion"

"You know is the only way to leave that valley filled by these arrongant airheads"

"yeah... I know that need to leave"

"So... you aren't going to congratulate your daughter for being a ranger?"

She huged his father, who do the same.

"So blacksmith: what you think about the new armor of the rangers of Rohnion?"

"It seems interesting... a new technic in crafting them?"

"Yeah... and also, the chain mails you and the western high elves use are obsolete! You should actualizate your goods!"

... It was a nice visit, some wonderful days, before Sarinee leaved to explore the world for adventure, after being raised between the confined walls that where the mountains of the hidden valley...

... neither of them asked what they wanted to ask, or speaked what they needed to speak, chatering about superficial things... instead of the reasons why he married her mother, if he never loved her, meanwhile he aimed for a princess that despise all his efforts allways ignored that simple foreigner... why he choosed to leave behind her daughter and family... or what happened, that make he break with the high elves... or of Sarinee's mother...

It was the last time he see her alive. Once again, they exchanged letters and correspondence, in wich her daughter told him the wonders of a new world she was discovering...

Until her last letter, telling that she was going with her adventure party to visit the uncharted Kazrrad, the underworld, and visit the centre of the world...

Then, nothing.

Milvais picked from the water Ivoÿn, who began to caugh again... tired, once again she was sinking and leaving go the laundry basket.

"You really didn't thinked much about this, Isn't true?" said Milvais to Quilintha...

When attacked by the large numbers of wild elves, wich obligated them to flee to the river...

They where warned by Fluffy and some orcs of the strong stream, but Quilintha thinked they could swim to the other side...

She was a good swimmer, in difference to her two friends, but luckily for her, Ivoÿn dragged as a floater the laundry basket...

And when, dragged by the stream, Quilintha almost drowned, she was lucky of the idea of Ivoÿn, and the brave efforts of her comrades to help them...

The stream simply was too strong, and they never where able to reach the other shore even with their efforts, and they where drifting...

Some rapids, and several hours, and the drows where exausted, completely soaked, and clinging from the basket in any way they can... but the test it seem it was to great for Ivoÿn, who was vanishing for moments...

"I... I think now the stream isn't too strong... maybe we can reach now the shores... is just a last effort!" said the exhausted Ivoÿn...

With their last effort, the drows where able to reach the shore... if you could call in that way the wet soft grass, dark trees and patches of water around of them.

However, they where exhausted after unbelievable long swimming in the river, floating along with the laundry basket, and they fell asleep: It was past noon, and to wright, so anm excelent hour for the drow to sleep....

After some hours, before the sunset, the drows awakened, and now since they could see everything better without so much light, they where pretty scared by what they see.

Most of the trees around were dead. The place was lonely and desolated. Behind them was the so whide river that was like a lake, and that they somehow managed to swim across.

The could barely see another shore, so far away it was.

Perhaps the current helped them. But there were no chance to swim back to that shore, or return in anyway to see what happened with Fluffy and her Orc settlement, attacked by the wild elven raiders...

They where separated with Fluffy, and who knows if they will get a chance to see her again... or what happened to her during the attack of the "Orc Killers" elves...

The ruins they see near where long ago forgotten, a farm of stone half sunken and eated by the swamp, without anything useful.

Then, the three drows thinked about their situation, and the more they think about it, the darker their thoughts were.

They had no weapons, no armor, and only a minimum of wet clothes... And all they learned from how to get food in the plains of Antor didn't seemed to be useful, in these unknow swamp: they had no idea how to find food and replenish their strenght, and they had no money. Nothing to trade, as the few clothes they cleaned and where in the laundry basket where lost in the stream of the river....

And all the supplies they had prepared for their eventual return to Negeémiliel where lost, abandoned in the orc settlement: back to nothing.

They had no idea where they were and how to get to a place where they can meet anybody to ask something... and they as well didn't know what to ask.

"We should move away from the river" said Ivoÿn. "I hope there the enviroment will be more dry".

The three drow where still completely soaked, and sleeping in the wet grass, exhausted, wasn't very good idea in retrosprective, but they needed some force.

They standed up and Milvais made one step.

The ground under her wobbled like jelly. The feeling was horrible, it reminded her an earthquake that she witnessed many years ago - the worst memories of her life, the most scary thing she had ever seen.

"By the Abyss, what happens with this ground?" Milvais said alarmed as she and tried to make another step.

"Careful!" warned Quilintha, remembering her scout experience. "Is a swamp! It would be better if I go in front! You two better follow my steps!"

With Quilintha leading, they advanced slowly some eternal hundreds of meters, where each step needed to be done with the mayor precaution.

Quilintha's lead, however, wasn't very firm, and she doubted much, so when she saw some grass that she thinked it was firm, she leaded Milvais and Ivoÿn there...

But it was a mistake. The grass gave way. There was only a thin carpet of grass covering a soft quagmire that readily sucked in Quilintha's legs.

"Crap, it's maybe a trap hole!" thought Quilintha trying to get out. She couldn't. With each her movement she was dragged deeper in the mud, and there were no solid places around, she had no place to lean at, to push against, to grab, to pull.

Quickly, Milvais tried to come to her aid, but with a hand gesture she stopped her friends.

"Is like that fisherman trapped in the Fish pond in Negeémiliel!! Go to these trees and try to get one of these plant-thingies hanging from the trees!"

"a Liana?"

"Whatever-is-name-is! Quick!" asked Quilintha, trying to stay calm and avoiding to move.

For Milvais and Ivoÿn it take some time to cut with their hands a liana and some branches to try to helpher their stuck friend...

Milvais was aproaching, carefully,when suddendly, Quilintha heared a splash sound and some swearing:

One of Milvais legs get stucked as well, and she falled forwards: the problem was, she was holding one end of the liana and Ivoÿn the other, and when she falled in the mud, she dragged Ivoÿn with her.

Quickly, she tried to liberate her arms and legs, struggling, but the warnings to stop from Quilintha where to late...

Now the three of them where stucked.

"Quilintha!!" yelled an increasilngly afraid Milvais

Quilintha was trying to use the liana, but the wine breaked before being useful for anything...

All the grass around them was slowly but steadily sinking into the mud, and the drows were sinking as well.

"What?"

"You have a stuck fetish!! Do something!!"

"I don't have one!!" she protested...

It was maybe the second worst feeling after the earthquake, thinked Milvais, as she was trapped in this mud.

She already realized that she can't get out, that she is doomed to stay at this place to the death, and her death is not far.

Her death, and the one of her friends.

But the way to die was shocking her. She have been allways a warrior, and she liked to fight... not only to defend the sacred sovereignity of Negeémiliel and of the Goddess Negeé, but she loved to combat, the feeling of it...

Definitely, she could die with honor, say, in any of the many campaigns she have fighted... even killed by Roothar the slaver, the dwarf guards of Wrall, as gladiatrix, by the orcs or the wild elves... that would have been a better death...

She could drown in the river, it was much worse, but still not that bad... But being slowly swallowed by the soft ground... It
was like an execution that the Goddess sent on her for all evil
that she did in her life...

Quilintha tried to calm them, saying that they would simply not drow or be "eated" by the swamp, as they didn't wear anything heavy like an armor...

but how that was tranquilizating? they where to die from hunger, abandoned in that swamp? Or eated by a crocodile? Fluffy have told her about these horrible creatures... what horrible destinies in front of her!!

But why? What she did wrong? She tried to did her best as an Acolyte of Negeé. Why she has to die?

Desesperated, she struggled again, and only ended sinking more, and her mouth filled with mud, making her cough.

Quilintha, realizing the situatuon of her friend, tried to helped her, and she grabbed the grass and pulled as strong as she could, trying to climb on top of it.

The grass sank beneath her, and Quilintha sank up to her armpits in the mud...

and Ivoÿn as well keep sinking...

At that moment, Quilintha screamed.
She didn't called for help, she knew that nobody but her unfortunate comrades can hear her.

She screamed loudly, desperately, it was something beyond her control, it was a scream of her soul that didn't want to leave her body....

And surprisingly, her scream was heard...

"Don't move!"

Quilintha didn't know the words, and in her situation, neither she or her comrades could see who said them... but she heard a man's voice. It could be male human, or elf, or dwarf, or something else... She couldn't see.

At that moment Quilintha was nearly passing out. She was already up to her ears in the mud, and with each breath she settled deeper and deeper. She was trying to hold her breathe, and suffered lack of oxygen. She was sure, what she heard was just a delusion. But she heard it again:

"Don't move, don't budge at all!"

She also heard an approaching splash, like somebody was walking by the water. Suffocating, she could see only bright and dark circles before her eyes, but then she distinguished a figure... Short, maybe a dwarf... With gray beard... How could she walk on that treacherous ground? Maybe, a warlock?

But the man wasn't neither a dwarf or a warlock, but was an old elf, sitting in a boat, as he returned with some supplies and raw materials from a blazakhovian trade outpoust, when he heared a scream in the swamp...

It was getting dark, but he paddled away from his normal route, to see what was happening:

Quickly, he found it: three persons -elves from their ears, the only distinguible trait under all that mud- ventured into the swamp...

First of all, he needed to ensure they could breath, because to liberate them would take time, so he used is paddle and his straw hat, to remove some of the mud, and he tried to liberate at least the heads of the trapped women, as he tried to calm them, using several languages he know, without results...

it was slow, but finally he was sure they will not drown. These girls where terrorized, but he retreated a bit with his boat, searching a dry place to leave his precious supplies and raw materials for his forge and other proyects: He didn't wanted the boat to turn and lost all:

The women panicked, calling for help, as they didn't know what he was doing... but soon, with his boat unloaded, he continued to plan and execute the rescue of the trapped girls.

Before all, he give them some water to drink and a bit of food, and finally he understood some of their words... forgoten words, of a forgotten language he haven't speaked in decades...

Negeémi drow.

"Don't move and calm down" he said. In the falling darkness, and with the mud, he really couldn't tell what kind of elves they where...

padding in his boat, he placed several ropes and pulleys, as a "security harness" in case he fall to the swamp or anything, before he began with the rescue.

he make the damsels grab the rope, sinking his own arms deep in the mud, and during the following long hours, the rescue proceed...

Quilintha see how he liberated first Milvais, pulling her up to the boat, leaving then. She was afraid for a moment he would abandone them, but he was only leaving her in the same island he leaved his supplies...

after that, he concentrated in the exhausted Ivoÿn, who was the second to be freed by the boatman, who repeated the action of bringing her to the small island...

" Now, grab the rope!" he tossed her a rope to Quilintha, as he returned.

However, sudendly, after all her hard experiences, a sudden fear showed to Quilintha, who realized she haven't seen what that man have done with her friends...

"I better die than return to slavery!"

"Good attitude, but not a good time to be pathetical. Now you only choose between life and death. You choose life, and you can make other important decisions later. You choose death, and this will be your last decision forever. You'll never see anyone whom you love. Grab the rope, NOW!"

Quilintha's hands were entangled by the grass at which she attempted to hold. She took a deep breath and with the last effort raised her hands up, but with this movement her face disappeared in the mud. She felt the rope and attempted to grab it, but it wasn't necessary - the loop tightened around her wrists. Then there was long and exhausting struggle.

The quagmire didn't want to release its victim, and Quilintha was too tired to effectively do what her rescuer told her.

Finally, she was pulled out of the mud, and now she was lying at the bottom of his rescuer boat.

To Quilintha's surprise, the first thing he did was cutting the rope to free her tied hands... and then, already in the complete darkness of the night, he began to paddle.
Quilintha was shivering, and take a muddy blanket to cover herself, as the small boat surcated the swamp...

"What you gonna do to us?"

The man didn't answered for a while, as he paddled in silence...

"You'll stay in my house for awhile. I may want to ask you some things"

"What if I don't want to stay?"

"I don't imprison you and I wouldn't guard you. I wouldn't show you the way, too. If you enjoyed the feeling of drowning in a swamp, you may try it again. But that time I may be too far to help you. "

"What things do you want to ask me?"

" It doesn't matter now. Just stay in my house and enjoy comfort. I guess you need some rest."

Quilintha doubted of this rescuer... latelly, the surface world, aside from the unexpected too friendly and hungry orcs and Fluffy, she had reasons to suspect...

"We have nothing to pay you."

"I don't need it."

"But we need food..."

"I have more food than you and your friends need."

"I... I don't think I can be useful."

"It's not you who judge how useful you are."

Quilintha was becoming a bit angry and frustrated... if he refused to everything, he may very well planning something!

"Damn, by the Abyss, I just think what can I do to pay you for saving my life!"

"There are some magic words that may help."

"I don't know magic."

"It's not about magic. It's about words."

Quilintha kept silence for several minutes, as them arrived to the island where Milvais, Ivoÿn and the supplies where waiting: in the meantime, they had take the oportunity to wash most of the mud from their faces and bodies, and Quilintha see worried how, upon seeing their dark skin, the face of the man changed in an imperceptible way, like a forgotten memory returned to him...

A bit more roughly than before, he ordered Milvais and Ivoÿn to stay, as he loaded some of the supplies in the boat: he was going to transport one drow each time to his home, and Quilintha was going to be the first one...

Again in the boat, as the old elf paddled to his home, only then Quilinta realized the meaning of his words.

She was so ashamed that her blushing could be seen despite her skin was dark and her cheeks were covered with mud.

"I'm... sorry... I'm so sorry! Thank you, thank you very much! Thank you for saving me... I'm really sorry..."

Quilintha kept silence till the boat hit the shore.