CYRON (Completed)

Chapter 25 -S.

Chidum was on his knees, his wrists still chained to the floor. Klex was across from him. The dirge wolf lay and stared at her master; no, her friend. He was never like a master to her. He always allowed her to make her own decisions on things, and he tried to make their partnership enjoyable for both parties.

The rest of the party were still in cuffs. The burnt body of the lady the shaman Senza had killed, was left laying where she had been cuffed. The shaman was nowhere in sight, but all knew he could be anywhere anytime.

Chidum let out a sigh. He was tired. The sun was coming up. They had spent a full night out here now. Hope was lost. The young man pulled down the front of his shirt and looked at the Karman tattoo on the left side of his chest.

"I wanted to correct all this madness and now it well has me in it's grasps."

He looked back at his people. The charred body of the woman lay there.

"We would cover her, but the cold of the night was much, captain." Anon explained.

"She would be buried well if we had the strength and freedom to do so." With those words, Chidum looked forward once more, but he found himself face to face with a very beautiful woman. She had long straight hair like his, but hers was white. Her pointed ears told what race she was. She looked in her early twenties, but with her race, that was most likely not the correct estimation for her age. Her clothes were those of a fighter, leather jacket over a long hooded tunic and at her back hung a double ended sword.

"Who—" The half-elf's question was cut off by the elf lady putting a gloved hand over his mouth.

Her eyes glowed white and in Chidum's head, he heard her voice.

#Quiet, son of Turen. Your captor is nigh.#

Chidum nodded silently in agreement. The she-elf let go of his mouth and looked past at his crew.

"Set them free." Chidum said in a hushed voice.

#You would rather they were freed before you...# Said the voice in his head. #Just like your father.#

Chidum looked back at his crew.

"She is here to help, but we must be silent."

The she-elf moved forward and grabbed Anon's cuffs and examined them. Chidum observed her. Her clothes were either green or white. He knew those colors. Even if he didn't know them, the drawing of a large bird on the back of her jacket identified her as what he had hoped.

"Vooran Ranger," he murmured with a smile. "Father."

The she-elf rose to her feet and grabbed her sword from her back, undoing the sheaths over each of the two blades. The handle was in the middle.

"Spelled chains which will only break under magic, or in the absence of he who forged them," the she-elf stated.

"What do we do then?" Anon asked.

"Now, she fights me, dies, and you all realize this has been a failed attempt at a rescue." Said Senza as he took form before the front door of the ruined building.

The she-elf walked towards the shaman. "Let us make this quick, coward."

"Oh the elf thinks she has met one beneath her."

The elf swiftly moved into action, slashing with her weapon, but the shaman vanished and the weapon swung through air. She turned around quickly however and parried a swing of the shaman's sword which he thrust at her once he took form behind her. She followed up the parry with a forward kick which struck the man in the chest and caused him to stagger backwards.