Sylva Arkenia

**Sylva Arkenia** is an elf summoner who graduated from Vocans Academy.

## Physical description

Sylva is described with typical high elven features that include pointy ears, silvery hair, and blue eyes.

## Personality

In the beginning Sylva is described to be an arrogant person, who did not care for commoners. However, this all changed after Fletcher and Othello save her from being beheaded in front of a crowd of humans. She accepts the human and dwarf's friendship as she was only acting that way because peace was needed between the humans and elves leading her to "befriend" the nobles Tarquin and Isadora Forsyth in order for a better weapons trade and to have the nobles get a better understanding of the elves.

Later, she is seen practicing battle spells with Fletcher and his friends. And the two end up chasing after a mysterious person sneaking out of the Academy, which turned out to be Othello.

She is shown to be very protective of Fletcher, as she gave him a teary hug after she thought he had died. She also becomes very defensive towards Cress Freyja after one of her crossbow bolts nearly killed him. Though after the death of demon Sariel, she became angry at Fletcher because he was part of reason that her demon died.

By the third book, both she and Fletcher are attracted to each other. However due to inter-racial relationships being seen as taboo by most of the elven society, and that being in such a relationship would ruin Sylva's reputation as a Chieftan's daughter, they have both agreed to bury their feelings, though a changing society, one with more acceptance and diversity, may result in their feelings being accepted, and a possible relationship between the two in future.

Taran Matharu later states that while she and Fletcher break up, there´s possible they could get together again in the future.

## History

### Early life

Sylva Arkenia is the daughter of the high elven chieftan Eldacar. She is incredibly proud of her high elven blood, and for most of her life, up until meeting lifelong friends Othello Thorsager and Fletcher Raleigh, had an extreme dislike of dwarves.

### The Novice

Sylva is first seen when Fletcher accidentally comes into her room. She angrily tells him to leave only after he has been sat on by her Canid, Sariel. She later is seen sitting as far away from the commoner's table as possible sitting with her new "friends" Tarquin and Isadora.

Later in the novel Sylva is out with her new “friends” in the town, she strays too far from the twins and finds herself captured by a bunch of elf hating men. She is then brought onto a podium to be beheaded in front of a crowd of people only to be saved by Fletcher and Othello. Then the three spend the night venturing back to the academy. During of which a storm breaks out, leaving the trio, to take shelter in an old barn stack. After some time she shows a sign of peace by ripping off the bottom of her dress to bind one of Othello's injuries. Sylva reveals why she made friends with the twins, telling Fletcher and Othello more about the elves‘ struggles.

When the three return to the academy just in time for lessons. The twins are surprised to see Sylva arrive back, in return she instead gives the two a blank stare.

Sylva summons Sariel much to the demons delight, as Sariel was unable to help her master. Sylva is later seen hugging her demon.

After Captain Lovett was attacked by a Shrike that had emerged from the ether, Sylva summons Sariel to break up the brewing fight between Tarquin and Othello. Isadora then asks Sylva to choose the twins or Fletcher and Othello, she never gets to answer the question as Arcturus enters the room. Sylva is blamed for trying to fight with Tarquin she says nothing to this as she might have had the others expelled.

A couple of days later after a lesson, Sylva is building up her courage to go and talk to the Forsyth twins only to be found by Fletcher she revels with him that she is wishing to befriend the Forsyth twins again for her personal gain, for the elves gain. With these comments she makes Fletcher angry at her ideals, who storms off.

After meeting with the twins, who were willing to put aside their differences, Sylva is later seen when Fletcher comes to talk to her about a dream he had. At this time she relives her vast knowledge on human and elven relations. Sylva insists on venturing to the library with Fletcher to learn more about what he has seen in his dream but she gets sidetracked when the two run across the mysterious person Fletcher had seen sneaking out on the first night he arrived. Sylva runs after the person, she is soon caught up by Fletcher and the both of them discover that the person is Othello sneaking out to a dwarven war meeting. The two watch through Ignatius's eyes as the demon ventures into the cave were the meeting being held. Sylva and Fletcher catch sight of a group of people stumbling through the woods, it so happens that the leader of the group, Grindle. Who Fletcher identified was the person was was also leading Sylva's capture and near death earlier. The group of men were planing to ambush the dwarfs and before the men can see them Fletcher and Sylva dive out of sight and Sylva angrily exclaims ‘I should have made sure he was dead'

As the ambush starts, Sylva joins the fight but then it is revealed by Grindle that it was the Forsyth's who had planned her execution. Soon after Sylva runs off in the mad chaos as musket balls are being shot at her and she makes it back to the academy. When Fletcher arrives back with an injured dwarf, Atilla. Sylva is the first to greet Fletcher and she does with tears in her eyes, she surprises him with a hug. Sylva then thanks Fletcher for following her to the cave, because she could have been caught by Grindle.

After a fighting lesson Sylva helps Fletcher and his friends practice spells, the next day she faces off against Isadora, who she manages to beat but Sylva put everything she had in defeating the first Forsyth twin and only managed weaken the second after she was hit by a kinetic blast and landed awkwardly. She received a broken arm and remained unconscious through Fletcher's win and capture.

### The Inquisition

While Sylva is absent during Fletcher's court trial, she is the first one he sees when he wakes up after being stung by a Manticore. Fletcher describes her to be even more beautiful than the last time he'd seen her. Sylva helps Fletcher up and the two take walk through the vast trees of the Great Forest, the elves home, Sylva then tells one of her brethren to summon the King, who wishes to see Fletcher. As Fletcher and Sylva wait, Sylva tells Fletcher more about the elven culture and the elves relationship with all of the deer and elk. It also turns out the elves keep a couple of each type of deer and elk but soon the King arrives and takes Fletcher away to talk.

Sylva is later seen wearing her battle armor for the clan meeting and is seen taking a seat with her other fellow elves on the table.

Sylva is part of Fletcher's team for the mission along with Cress and Othello. She is shown to sit closely to Fletcher at times and shown interest in him. When Fletcher was impaled by two crossbow arrows, she is the one who pulls it out and heals him. When Fletcher is still in a daze, she leans in so that their foreheads touch and kisses him softly. Neither she nor Fletcher mention this moment afterwards.

Later, after Sariel was killed, she initially blamed Fletcher for her death due to the fact that he inadvertently crushed the Canid when trying to save them from the Orc’s demons.

**Battlemage**

When they enter the ether, Lysander, loses his connection with Elaine Lovett, and becomes wild again. Driven by his instincts he tries to kill fletcher, but Sylva harnasses him right in time.

## Skills and abilities

* Summoning Abilities
* Archery
* Sword Fighting

## Demons

* Sariel - Canid †
* Lysander - Griffin

## Possessions

* Basic Summoning gear, including a summoning scroll and scrying stone.
* Bow and Quiver: Originally belonged to her father.
* Stiletto Blade
* Falx: Originally belonged to her father.

## Appearances

* *Rory* (mentioned only)
* *The Novice* (first appearance)
* *The Inquisition*
* *The Battlemage*