~The Hidden Enemy~

Chapter 4:~A Grandfather's sins~

When Elora woke up, she laid tied up in a tent and she looked up to see the men from earlier staring at her. She slowly sat up and looked up at them. "What do you want from me?," she asked confused. The men looked at her angrily. "We want justice for what your grandfather did to us!," the leader Carlo said. Elora looked up at them and swallowed. "How exactly are you planning to get that?," she asked worriedly. She screamed out in pain once the two other men grabbed her hard. Carlo smiled wickedly at her. "I think I have an idea or two about how to make justice for my family and friends," he declared before cutting her with a knife in her palm. Elora let out a small cry of pain and looked up at him. "Let the fun being," he announced wickedly and Elora looked at him confused.

Eroan woke up in the early morning by the sounds of crying from his son and daughter's child-beds. He sighed deeply. "Elora, it's your turn," he said tiredly, but got no response. "Elora?," he sighed and placed his hand on Elora's side of the bed to confusingly find her side empty. He sat up confused and then quickly got out of bed. The castle immediately began searching for their Queen but Elora seemed to have completely disappeared along with her horse that was soon found wandering around in a meadow in the Lustillia woods. Eroan became more and more afraid of what could have happened to his wife. He prayed to the guards that she was alright.

Elora was taken to a great town and two a great arena for what it looked like. The men held her firmly and she swallowed in shock and despair as she saw other elves, Leclitras, even humans being forced to fight against each other in the arena. How could these men treat these creatures like animals. It was unforgivable and abominable! She felt the leader Carlo grabbing her shoulder, stopping her. "They are waiting for you, Starlight. And you are going to fight. Against one of us...," he finished darkly and Elora felt her fear grow. She could hear the men laughing and they forced her forward. "This is your family's punishment for what your grandfather did to us," Carlo declared.

Elora was thrown into a cell after being inspected by the men and made ready to fight. The men had put on her a magic blocking bracelet on her right wrist to stop her from using any magic against him. The Leclitra in the other cell next to her looked up in shock and confusion. "Elora Starlight, what are you doing in a place like this?," she asked. Elora stood up and walked over to her and sighed. "My grandfather seems to have hurt more people than I know," she declared and the Leclitra looked at her and sighed. "My name is Laila. They are gonna force you to fight?," she asked worriedly. Elora sighed and looked down. "Yes, but I promise. I will get you out of here. I have people looking for me," she explained. Laila sighed and grabbed Elora's hand through the bars. "Just be careful. They may be humans but they're more powerful than you know," she explained and Elora swallowed.

Eroan had called for a meeting with the council of Lustillia though some other rulers of Shivanna was also present. Among them was Eroan's twin brother Erlan. The Leclitra Queen Nerida and King Airon who was there because Laila had also mysteriously disappeared and the Leclitras were also very found of their own. Faylinn and Eldrin was present. One of the reasons were Faylinn's bound with Laila but also because of Emersion's bound with The Light elf Queen. Keegan and Reyna was present because they wanted to help the Light Elves if they could. "They found no tracks. We have no idea of where the Queen could have gone, My Lord," A guard explained. Eroan sighed and nodded. "Thank you, you may go," The Captain bowed and left the hall. Emersion turned to Callon. "Did Edrahil have any enemies I don't know of?," he asked. Callon shook his head, "Edrahil didn't have any enemies except the normal evil like Orotakas during his whole reign. But we know for sure that Aranel had many enemies all across Shivanna. Their ancestors could be out for revenge," he declared. Emersion sighed and looked at Charline. "We could try tracking her," Nerida suggested, "Emersion, your connection with Elora makes us able to see her, doesn't it?," Emersion sighed and shook his head. "Feel her but not see her. And I already feel her feelings. I can tell she's scared but that's all. Something must be blocking our connection," Christiana sighed and looked up at him. "Can we use the connection to find her?," she asked and Emersion nodded, "Yes," And Christiana looked at him. "Then what are we waiting for?," And Charline sighed.

Elora sat in her cell when Carlo opened her cell door and looked down at her with a wicked smile on his face. "The audience is waiting for their Starlight Queen," he declared and Elora swallowed and she was dragged out of the cell and Laila stood up worriedly.

"From the Kingdom of Lustillia!," Carlo began, "Granddaughter of The Great Aranel The Magnificent, I give you The Starlight elf Queen Elora!," Carlo announced proudly and the people cheered as Elora stepped out into the arena. She felt her worry grow as she heard the crowd cheering her name. She felt her ancestors spirits watching her. "We are here with you, my child," she heard her grandfather Aranel's spirits voice in her head. "You are a Starlight and you shall fight for what's right," she heard her father's spirits voice say in her head. Elora turned around and saw one of Carlo's men. She swallowed and they fighting began.

Elora was later thrown into her cell both injured from the tournament but also from the torture the humans had endured her with after battle. She prayed to the gods that night. That her family would find her soon.