The Keepers of the Elements

Huro

 The Brokk's last, and only customer that day was Tulii. All the elves were worked up about the queen's death, and rushed to their homes to pack their bags. Huro's father groaned. "This is going to set back our departure, son."

"But father, we need to get home to mother as soon as-"

Benjamin silenced him. "Huro... we may as well accept it. She's gone, son. We'll never be able to get the medicine in time."

"I refuse to think that way, father."

"Huro." Benjamin leaned down to wrap his arms around his son. "She's in a better place now. I can feel it." Huro knew it was true, but he continued to argue.

"No father, no. She's still fighting. She has to be!"

"Son..."

"She has to be..." Silent sobs took over and Huro crumpled to the ground.

Benjamin kneeled next to him. "Shhh... it will be okay."

"But it's not. We've been trying to save up for the stupid medicine all year, and now..." Anger boiled inside him. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Huro, calm down. We're setting off for home now. You just need to calm down."

Huro slapped away his father's reached out hand. "No! I'm not going with you! You took me away when she needed us! I'm not going with you!"

And then Huro ran. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew that his father wouldn't be able to follow because of his limp. He came to a stop at the quartz wall. The entrance... where was the entrance? He started running alongside it, knowing it would take hours.

"Huro?" He turned. Tulii Everbrush stood there, with a questioning look on her face. "Are you alright?"

Becoming self-conscious about his tears, he looked away, red-faced. "Fine. I'm just going for a stroll."

Tulii nodded. "Same with me. I still can't believe somebody would murder the queen..."

"Neither can I." Huro murmured. This conversation was going nowhere.

"Well... would you like to walk with me? I need the company." Huro nodded and they began to silently walk along the quartz wall. "You don't talk much, do you?"

Huro shook his head.

Tulii rolled her eyes. "You're not much for company." He grunted in reply. "Anyway... um. You know, I've never been outside of the quartz wall?"

"That's great."

"He speaks!"

"Don't get used to it, your nobleness."

"Don't worry, I won't, ssri fae." Huro gave her a questioning look. "It means 'silent one'." She smirked at him.

Huro held back a smile.

"So... where do y-" An explosion sent the two of them flying backwards. Huro hit the ground hard, while Tulii gracefully landed on her feet. "Are you okay?" The elf helped him to his feet.

"I'm fine." The two of them stared at the giant hole in the quartz wall. "What do you think happened?"

The hundreds of masked soldiers that began streaming into the city answered his question. "It's the shadow army," Tulii informed him. She reached for her daggers, the one she had bought from Huro and his father, with a determined look on her face.

"Are you actually going to take them all?"

"Why not?"

Huro raised his eyebrows. "I don't know. Maybe because it's literally an army and even those tough warrior dudes," Huro pointed to Elvish soldiers who were fleeing from the battle scene. "Are getting out of here."

Tulii grinned at him. "Well I'm not a tough warrior dude. Come on, Huro. Let's show this velahrn what we got."

"But I-" He caught the sword the elf had just thrown at his head.

"Nice reflexes." She sounded surprised.

Before Huro could protest more about taking on an entire army, Tulii charged, letting out a battle cry. "NESH TEL' CORONAL!"

The boy blinked before following the elf into battle. Tulii was amazing on the field. She hit the soldiers just in the right way with her daggers, so they wouldn't be killed. She had taken out about ten of them before Huro even came face to face with his first foe. It was sword on sword, though the soldier definitely had the upper hand.

Everytime the weapons clashed together, Huro would stumble back a few feet. He was all bone and no muscle. There was no way that he could win this, let alone beat an entire army with an overconfident elf. Once again, the soldier swung his sword around to slice at Huro's left arm. Huro clumsily lifted the sword into position, but this time he stumbled and fell to the ground when the swords made contact.

He yelped as the enemy raised his sword for the final blow. Tulii glanced over. "HURO!"

They made eye contact, just as the sword swung down.

Nothing.

Nothing was happening. "Oh man, I'm dead. I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead."

"Then how am I thinking?" Huro cracked open his eye and then shut it again.

"Why am I flying?"

"Why are we flying?" Huro's eyes shot open. Tulii's hand was clamped in his and they were several feet above the remaining parts of the quartz wall. Everything was still and then suddenly... woosh!

A gust of wind barrelled into them, sending them soaring into the forest. Huro screamed, like any normal person would, while Tulii laughed maniacally as they ran into tree branch after tree branch. A swarm of bugs splattered on Huro's face. He slammed his mouth shut. Tulii smirked at him. "Tasty?"

Huro opened his mouth to shoot back a snarky reply, only to swallow more bugs. Sputtering, he flailed his arms in an attempt to get them to slow down. But in the process, he let go of Tulii's hand and dropped out of the sky like an anvil.

"TULIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

"HOW DO I STOP FLYING?!" Tulii yelped, her voice full of panic.

And then with a sickening crack, Huro blacked out.