The Revenant

Race around the City

PAULINE

Man the food that night was incredible! The roast was so delectable,melting in my mouth with every bite, sweet,tender juiciness!

I gorged myself silly on meat,potatoes,wine,rice,prawns and other delicates that I couldn't get at the cafeteria even if I tried.

I sat back in my chair,letting out a sigh so heavy,it was like all the air in my lungs passed out through my mouth, and the breath I took again made me feel as if I were breathing the airs of heaven.

"Wow...you guys eat like this every night?" I asked,rubbing my stomach. Tummy deserves rubs after such a good meal.

Sonja finished chewing the food in her mouth,placing her fork and knife down in her plate as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. "On the contrary, we eat like this every meal. Breakfast,lunch, and dinner,all the finest cuisines and cooks in the land that we can muster."

Lucky girl...I wish I could eat all of this every day.

Dude...food like this every day? The army rations were great don't get me wrong...but three meals a day, every day, seven days a week,three hundred sixty five days a year? Every single day,every meal was so extravagant?

I'd kill to eat this over the army rations any day.

"This food is incredible." Amaani said.

Crisingr sat without touching his food once. His hands were beneath the table, he never uttered a word.

"I never knew we were inviting elves to our table dear. Let alone two." The Empress said. "We dine with our enemies now?"

A sudden tension flew over the garden. I felt as though all the guards eye's had fallen on our squad, and my eye's soon fell on Amaani and Crisingr. They were the only elves in the entire palace.

"One is a prisoner of war is he not? The elf with the long hair there. He is a POW who Nova recruited on his squad. Whose to say that the girl is not a spy?"

"Excuse me?"

"Perhaps your Commander Nova needs a talking to. Allowing anyone to just enter our army when we were once strictly comprised of humans whom we could trust instead of these...lesser races." The Empress said.

Amaani bit her lip,saying nothing as she sat back in her chair. Crisingr said nothing as well, simply sitting in silence,staring daggers at the Empress.

"If the Commander sees them fit for his squadron I do not see the problem. Nova has trained them, the child also has sharp intuition. I believe he'd know if any of his squad mates were spies." The Emperor said. "As for the prisoner of war,Nova says he should be given a chance to redeem himself. I do not see why he should not be given a second chance. Everyone deserves one do they not?"

"Elves do not."

"It is your kind who invaded our homeland." Crisingr said. "Your kind who burn our crops,rape our women,pillage our villages,pollute our forests. And you, elf girl, you support these savages?"

"I have never been to Elysium. I've never even seen it. I fight for my homeland and my homeland is the north."

"Both of you elves should be enslaved. If it were up to me you would both be executed."

"Mother,Nova believes in them. If you can't have faith in them, have faith in his decision." Elena said.

"Why does the Commander place faith in elves? Not only elves but this...ape as well."

"Hey!" Tyrese said, his tail perking up. "You're being rude!"

"You are half ape are you not? You belong in a zoo, not in the army."