Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I thought as I sprinted towards the raw smell of sulfur and brimstone. Where the narrow tunnel opened, revealing a curtain of lava, a volcanic orange glow painted the walls. Dark shadows danced up ahead - but I ran on; I had no choice. Despite my swollen ankle and my shattered ribs, I tried to look as fearless as possible, but I knew my face reflected how I felt inside and I looked exactly like what I was: a scared child.
Tears stained my cheeks and blurred my vision, but there was no mistaking the silhouettes of the heavily armed soldiers on horseback.
"An elf!" one of the soldiers cried.
I sank to my knees - this was it. The intense heat emanating from the lava dried my face and I could see clearly again.
"Where?" another called out to his comrade.
The first thing I noticed was that he had his back to me. Then, with relief - and confusion - I realized that none of the soldiers were looking in my direction. Their gaze was fixed on a spot a little ways ahead - where the first soldier was pointing. I was able to catch a glimpse of a horned figure, but suddenly, a fumarole belched out steam and gases, temporarily obscuring the hooded elf. Once it cleared, he had vanished!
I couldn't believe my luck as the soldiers rode onwards in pursuit of the elf, searching every nook and cranny of the ridge. Their simple, one-track minds instantly forgetting their General and the thunderous boom - the origin of which they still hadn't bothered to investigate.
The breach was a one-way passage into the bordering human kingdom - Katolis maybe? Geography wasn't my strong point. My only chance was upwards, so I gritted my teeth and scaled the rock face until I found a higher ridge that was free of humans. My fingers bled, but it was a small price to pay for survival. I wanted to go after the elf myself - I owed him my life - but I didn't have the energy. Besides, my top priority was finding a way back into Xadia.
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Upbringing
FanfictionRayla, an eight year old Moonshadow Elf, finds herself trapped in the human kingdoms. But it isn't a human who finds her, but an elf, a Starsight Elf who tells her that she is destined for great and important things. It isn't until the two others ge...
