In Rivendell, Lord Elrond and his head healer hurriedly searched through the books in the library. The note left by Emillion was not ordinary; it had a specific purpose that would hopefully explain everything and tell the whole story of that night forty years ago. Ariel was flipping through a book and stopped at a chapter in a book of dwarven knowledge with the same title as the note. She couldn't read ancient dwarf, but her lord could. She brought the book to Elrond, and when he read the title, his face turned pale, and his breathing became shallow.
Ariel: My lord, what troubles you?
Elrond: The book recounts a time when the Line of Durin battled nocturnal creatures, beings once living yet now cold to the touch, their blood evil, and their gaze filled with malice. It was an era marked by grave danger and profound darkness.
Eldacar stood behind the library door, his heart pounding as he eavesdropped on the conversation. Rumors had been swirling about a monster in the valley, and whispers pointed to Emillion as the perpetrator. But that couldn't be; Emillion was still unaccounted for.
Ariel: But why? Emilion couldn't possibly be this creature.
Elrond: It would explain many things, such as his body temperature and the fact that he hasn't aged, even after forty years.
Ariel: Then how? If the vampires were all wiped out by Durin's line, then how could Emilion be a vampire?
Elrond: To discover that information, we must consult Iston's journal.
Ariel: What does Iston have to do with this?
Elrond: He revealed that he had encountered an elf with extensive knowledge about various subjects, including the occult—dark and sinister magic. He attempted to eliminate the elf but was unsuccessful, and now he harbors a fear that the elf might seek retribution against him.
Ariel: Did Iston mention what he looked like?
Elrond: He hesitated to share with me because the elf appeared to possess powerful magic, and he believed it was safer if no one else knew about this elf.
Ariel: Thranduil would not want this information to be revealed. He held Iston in high regard as his chief advisor.
Elrond: The peculiarity lies in that Iston's death record was never revealed to the other Elven Lords. As an advisor to each Lord, the details of his demise would have interested all.
Ariel: Thranduil was not one to share much with others, yet he and Iston had a close bond since childhood.
Elrond: Even so, it's a topic Thranduil would never discuss— the death of Iston. I had heard whispers of his demise, yet nothing concrete.
Ariel: Like what?
Elrond: There was a rumor that unsettled me deeply, one that I sincerely hope is unfounded. Iston was fatally mauled by a creature that managed to flee the kingdom that night, with his throat torn open and the majority of his blood drained.
Ariel clapped her hand over her mouth, aghast. Iston, who could have easily defended himself, how had such a creature brought him down?
Elrond: It's just a rumor, but I still find it unsettling. Iston, Emilion's father, was a great warrior and tactician, but we have no proof, nor have we seen Iston's body to examine it for signs of an attack.
The west side door of the library swung open, and Eldacar's older siblings approached the table where the two elder elves sat. Alysia carried the reports of the examined bodies. The descriptions within the reports disturbed Alysia, for she had never seen such wounds on anyone or anything before, and it brought her immense terror. She curtsied to her aunt and Elrond, then placed the reports on the table.
Alysia: I have the reports on the examination of the two guards who were killed that night. Additionally, there are reports indicating that the monster has not been sighted again.
Ariel: It's a relief that the monster has departed, yet the sight of these wounds makes me apprehensive that this encounter with the creature may not be our last.
Elrond: The wounds are exclusively on the neck, nowhere else, it appears. The creature targeted only this area, and the only thing missing was blood. Wait...
Elrond picked up the book, leafing through the pages until he halted on one, his finger following the lines of text as his face grew deathly pale.
Ariel: What have you discovered, my lord?
Elrond: It describes the bodies of the victims, noting that two specific marks were always left behind: two holes right on the jugular vein in the neck. The documented wounds describe the same two holes on the veins, but there is no explanation for any other wounds on the neck.
Alfur: Is this creature a hybrid?
Ariel: It's impossible to be certain, as we lack knowledge about vampires in recent centuries. What we can assert is that a vampire-like entity was present, but there is no evidence to confirm that Emilion is indeed a vampire.
Elrond: Please explain why his body is cold, his heart isn't beating, and most importantly, why he hasn't aged in the last forty years.
Ariel understood that her lord was correct; the evidence overwhelmingly suggested that Emilion was the creature in question, yet his origins remained a mystery. Eldacar restrained his sobs. Realizing he had been here all along, and yet informed of nothing, he quietly left the library, his heart aching profoundly and his eyes reddened with unshed tears. He was aware that Emilion was cursed, or something akin to it, and that he would never stoop so low to achieve his desired outcome. Before he could restrain himself, his mind wandered to a particular memory, one that assured Eldacar of his love for Emilion.
Flashback: Eldacar strolled through the gardens, seeking the flower his mother had described, one that blossomed under the full moon. He followed the path until he reached the grand pond reflecting the moon's glow. As he moved behind the bushes, the sound of approaching footsteps drew near the pond. Eldacar concealed himself and watched as Emilion approached the water's edge.
Emilion: Pastaigas pa udeni.
Emilion cast an enchantment, and he soon found himself walking on water towards the center of the pond, his hair loose and shimmering, his nightshirt billowing, and his pants clinging to his legs. Upon reaching the midpoint, Emilion gazed upward at the night sky, where stars twinkled, and the pond below mirrored his tumultuous emotions. Extending a hand, he uttered words in the arcane tongue, and a portal materialized. As it made contact with the tip of Emilion's finger, it drew him into the depths of the abyss.
Eldacar hastened to the pond and, upon reaching its center, he beheld the realm that had enveloped Emilion. Emilion lay encircled by starlight, the waters giving way to boundless magical energies. He floated supine, his arms extended, his hair billowing around him like a cloak, adrift in the cosmos. For the first time, Eldacar saw his face calm, serene, and happy. Emilion was in his element, savoring the freedom that this place afforded him. The light made Emilion glow, his body a part of the cosmos in which he floated, and Eldacar saw an angel among the stars.
End of Flashback:
Eldacar strode to his chamber, seized his arms, and proceeded to the stables to fetch his steed, determined to pursue Emilion. Upon learning of Eldacar's departure, his aunt, suspecting he might have overheard their conversation, implored Lord Elrond to dispatch his siblings in search of him. Within the hour, the three elder siblings were mounted and galloping forth, harboring hopes of intercepting him promptly.
Ariel: To imagine that a monster, who once reigned over goblins and orcs, could have been among us, and the most dreadful part is that we all once adored him.
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The Lost Ellon
FanfictionA young Ellon with magical powers, never close with his family nor his kingdom but lost in magic, both good and evil. But one night, he is declared missing and isn't seen for years, but why?
