Vain: Upon An Hours Rest

Chapter 6: The Elvin Lands

          Now let me explain something about elves. They are basically the same thing as people. They are slightly taller, generally six to seven feet tall. They do not have pointy ears contrary to popular belief. I wouldn’t expect you to know unless you’ve ever seen one. I’ve only seen the ones captured as prisoners of war and the one that trained me a young man in the arts of ranged weapons. The elves are basically a group of people who prefer to live away from most everyone else. They started as a tribe of slightly taller people. They pretty well, kept to themselves but grew tired of the rest of the countries constant fighting and constant neglect of the natural things God gave us. They are very strong pacifists but can be pulled into battle on rare occasions. They are extremely fierce fighters being the only people as accurate and deadly as myself with a bow and arrow. My father had one along with a dwarf, who are a totally different story, train me as a youngster. Now not all Elf tribes are Christian, but the one tribe we have here in Gielinor is.

          It was a somewhat long walk as they led me along. They sat me down in a tent a removed the blind fold from my eyes. I see an elf about five and a half feet tall, smallest I’ve ever seen! He was still big and looked very strong. Standing behind him is another man. Straight white armor trimmed in gold. His arms are crossed and he looking at me.

          “Who are you? Says the elf”

          “I am Danny Vain, The Duel Blade King”.

          “How would you expect me to believe you?”

          “Unsheathe one of my swords”

          He pulls it, looks at it blankly and says, “Stolen.”

          “Pull the other then.”

          He pulls the other and though he looks slightly surprised he says “Fake” These people aren’t as keen on our customs as most.

          “Look,” I say, “I have King Smiths seal!” He takes the ring and looks, hands it to the unknown knight and he walks out.

          “So, Danny Vain was known for his sharp shooting, and being trained by an elf himself!”

          “We don’t have time for this! We have to get the troops ready and stage an attack!!”

          “You out-shoot me, I’ll turn over leadership in this area to you. I outshoot you, I shoot you.”

          This contest is so ignorant but I say, “Deal” anyways. A few minutes later we are standing in front of targets with a small crowd, and getting larger, of elves and refugees standing around. The elf pulls one arrow and puts it clean through the targets center. Then he shoots another so close to the first you can’t put your figure through it, then the same with the next! This won’t be easy, one mistake and I won’t have be able to help lead this rebellion.

          I pray, “God, I’ve needed you so many times! But right now I need you to help me again. If you don’t I cant Lord. Guide my arrow! I shoot in the name of The Lord!” With that a new wave of energy over takes me and I pull my arrow. Instead of aiming at my target I turn and aim straight at his! With rapid firing I place 1 arrow in the dead center and split his first arrow and break the third. The other two arrows are in the center by the time the broken 3d arrow settles on the ground.Then I begin drawing my knives and throwing them as well, creating a circle around the center of the target. The crowd gasps. The head Elf gapes. I stand tall.

          “People of the Elvin Lands, make no mistake I am Danny Vain. Returned from, I'll admit, I don’t know where, to lead you, lead this rebellion and take back our land, take back our nation, take back Gielinor!” With that the crowd bursts into screams and cheers and I look to the head elf. He guides me back his tent and as we walk I can see the looks of frustration and resentment on his face. We reach the tent sit to talk.

          “So what’s your plan of action sir Vain” I like how he skipped the apologizing and inevitable graveling, but then again it may have been pure resentment. Either way, in a time of war there’s no time for such stupidity.

          “I don’t know yet, how many people have you here fit for the blade or quiver?”

          “Two thousand men sir, but another three thousand in women and Elves who are all willing to fight with rocks if it’s what it takes”

          “Brave men, so is this all we have to fight a rebellion?”

          “No sir, your son, Prince Daniel, he took at least five thousand people with him on a move to the old kingdom in the wilderness, which as I’m sure you know was completely destroyed soon after Ragen took the throne. The only thing that has kept him from here is the fear of the Pass.”

          “So I guess now we need to get to the wild and prepare an invasion.”

          “Have you any idea on what you will do?”

          “I know we need a base of operations and start on the farthest side of the land, I don’t know fully yet, I’ll need to speak with Daniel and with the rest of the Temple Knights and the Elven counsel”

          The elf reply’s, “If we move to the north and enter the wild from the north west side, we should liberate the dwarfs who have been imprisoned in their city, our scouts also report the enemy has been recruiting like mad. It would be wise to find the Hill Tribes (barbaric men who live off in the hills of the wilderness). We need to be prepared, if we make this move, we will have to cross a lot of freezing cold land, and sail around the west mountains, we won’t be able to scale the slops in time."

          “I’ll prepare everyone and we will begin moving out at dawn in two days.” A look of sadness crosses his eyes and he realizes he is likely leaving his home never to return. But it’s part of war. A war we must all fight if we wish for freedom.