The Revenant

Alisha

ALISHA

I had perched myself atop a branch overlooking the imperial city. Using my elven eye's,I could easily see the barracks where my father was being held captive. Several images ran through my mind of the horrific torture and pain they had put him through.

It was hard not to think about it. Mother was still sick back home in Elysium. This was the first time I had been so far from home. The beasts here were far more monstrous than those of my homeland. They never lived in harmony with their inhabitants as we elves did. Here,in the north, every day was a struggle. A fight for survival.

Kill or be killed.

"You seem occupied."

Emmanuel swung from one of the branches to my side,landing with finesse. His headband was wrapped tightly round his forehead,keeping his blood red hair from falling in his face. It fell elegantly down his back, stopping just beneath his spine.

His hair was rather long for an elf.

Emmanuel's eye's were sharp,he almost always wore a cocky smirk. He carried himself with a confidence that was common in elven boys,yet he was never vain, and almost never saw himself above humans as most elves did.

"You think he's in there?"

"Who?"

"The notorious Commander Nova. They say he's the one who captured your father and butchered a whole army single-handedly."

"I know. I saw the reports. Saw my fathers letter as well. Instead of sending ten thousand troops they just sent a single man with the experience of ten thousand troops. They say he's a monster."

"I can't wait to fight him." Emmanuel said,his smirk widening into a smile.

"You think you can take him?"

"I just wanna see if he's as brutal as everyone says he is. He massacred a whole army by himself, he must be a pretty scary guy to pull off something like that. I wanna fight em."

"I'll pass."

"He's the one who captured your dad. You know he could very well be the one interrogating him,torturing him. Could also be that he's the one we gotta go through to get to your dad."

"We need to make our way through the city first. Don't forget that hotshot."

Emmanuel puffed his chest out. "I already got that figured out. We just gotta tear our clothes off."

"Whoa whoa! You aren't tearing anything off."

"Not to the point where we're butt naked you Itk'ell! Just a few tears at the clothing,rubbing it in some dirt and waltzing right in to the city. I spotted a few dozen elves who live in the slums, wearing tattered rags. We just claim to be from there and we'll fit right in."

"Great. I'm so happy you have this all under control. My fathers life is on the line here."

"I know,I know. You don't want your dad dying. I don't want him dead either,I still gotta ask for permission to marry you."

"Slow down there hot stuff, I never agreed to marrying nobody."

Emmanuel laughed, almost falling off of the branch. He stabilised himself, taking in a deep breath.

"Not yet. You'll have a different tone once I get the ring." He said with a wink.

Ever since we were children,he's had a crush on me. I could never understand why,I wasn't exactly anything special. There were plenty of other girls for him to choose from who were way better. Plus...there was no way I could tell him that I wasn't into guys.

I didn't care if I was maybe using him. He was skilled. Emmanuel was without a doubt the best fighter our army had. A powerhouse in his own right. If the North had Nova,We had Emmanuel. So yes, in hindsight,maybe I was using his emotions toward me as a means to an end. A means of finding my father, and bringing him home. As long as he was emotionally attached to me, I could use him to get my father home.

"Good news!"

The tree branches shook violently as weight was applied to them. Emmanuel and I turned to see Jaina, one of our scouts. Her long,flowing gold hair complemented her icy blue eye's well. Her cheeks were red, almost always red, as if she were forever flustered.

"What news is it?" Emmanuel asked.

"I got word that Commander Nova and his unit will be moving through these very woods just a few days from now. They've been tasked with hunting a group of bandits who have been terrorising caravans lately."

A large smirk stretched across Emmanuel's face.

"So my plan worked."

"Plan?"

"I'd been robbing caravans the past few weeks. I had to keep it up until they'd send in the big guns and not the small fry. Most likely,this gives us the oppurtunity to have one of our regiments fight Nova and his group,while the other slips into the city and tries to find your father."

"This plan isn't going to work..."

"It will." Jaina said. "I trust Emmanuel."

Emmanuel nodded in appreciation before his eye's turned to me. "It's a plan to get your dad back isn't it? You in or not?"

"Something is better than nothing. So,what's our plan of attack?"

A devilish smile found its way across Emmanuel's face.