Thread: The Dream Of Conquest (MasterOfWhispers and Eirlys Vitae)

I will be fine...I'll be just fine. Bernia gave her younger brother's hands a small squeeze. The elven boy stood strong, unable to keep his eyes dry for any longer, but not letting a single tear to slip. The healer was proud to raise a proper man, who's mature mind and will were trapped in the body of a child. I will return, Nodin, I promise you, I will. For the last time she leaned in to press her naturally rosy and soft lips to his pale forehead before releasing boy's hands and heading out, on her way grabbing the staff she's been using for casting. Bernia and Nodin were not real siblings - they were among those children who's families were killed during the war, and for a long time they were wandering around the village streets begging for food. Bernia wasn't far from adulthood back then, and the nearly infant boy who was now an orphan couldn't leave her indifferent. And so she's began working for gathering supplies to keep two of them alive, learning how to share and beginning to hunt wild animals such as foxes and wolves with the very simplest spell which was still taught by her dead parents. Bernia back then couldn't afford spellbooks to develop her skills and relied on herself only. The land was restoring fast after the war, and so was economy in the land of elves. Soon a new complex of houses was built and given to children that were left orphan. Though they could have began living separately back then, Bernia couldn't leave the boy alone - they grew too attached for each other, and actually Nodin never knew there were no family ties connecting them. Years had to pass for Bernia to stand firmly enough on her ground to begin advanced studies of magic - she was an offspring of a noble family, so her talent to magic arts was boundless and natural, making her much more fast learning than any other young magician. It didn't take long for her to gain a level of mastery that other magicians her age possessed, and even become greater than they were. Bernia was specializing in healing wounds, as healers were always the most needed occupation - also she wasn't much into violence, and allowed others to develop their combat skills while not planning to step into fight herself. Firstly she's reached a rank of Oracle, a healer, but it didn't take very long for her to become an Elven Elder, meaning she was now advanced in healing people by using her magic powers. The land was shaken by war again - this time it was only concerning elves, and a race that was coming out of them. Though they were not real creatures, not the ones made by god - a failure at the experiment, that's what that race was. The only one elf was taking a part in that experiment and was later attempted to be hunted - with no success. No one suspected he'd be able to breed, to find anyone alike to him... And no one even thought about a possibility of him being able to turn other elves into creatures likely to himself. There was a long period when people kept disappearing from the village, never returning back - they were now marching to defeat their previously brothers and sisters, thirsty for their blood. Bernia was taken to the army which had to oppose Vampiric elves in the battle, and now was walking side by side with warriors. It was elven strategy - to a group of fighters was given one healer, since elven supporters did possess a unique skill of healing a group of people at once. They hadn't got a special plan for this war, as watchers announced of enemy's army coming only a few hours ago, and so soldiers were insecure about themselves being vulnerable at the current point - for each battle they had a neatly developed strategic plan...This time it was left for improvisation. Just like everyone expected, once the havoc began whole army lost their mind. Blinded by smoke Bernia still attempted to heal her comrades, but the arrow almost hitting her face and leaving a nasty cut on her left cheek caused her to run, too. Without warriors around she was helpless, since her combat skills were pathetic - it was elven system, that healers and fighters belonged together, creating an incredible force. Apparently the enemy knew it and separated them as soon as it was possible. From the moment Bernia left the leftovers of her group, helplessly flouncing around the space filled with smoke, screams, clang of armors and weapons, she knew someone was following her. Her mission at the very second was to get out of the place where she couldn't see more than a meter in front of herself. Only when she got out to the place that she considered safe, Bernia realized her sixth sense not lying - indeed, there was a few of Vampiric elves chasing after her. But she was not willing to give up so easily and decided to run forward - however a soldier riding a strider blocked her way, soon a couple of others joining it, having her surrounded from all the sides, absolutely alone. The Elven Elder could not name the later events, since she was knocked out by having her head hit with a handle of the sword. When she woke up, she was already in a trunk with other healers - most of them semi unconscious, badly injured, some already dead. This is when realization hit her - they had lost.