When Conflict Comes to a Head

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Twelve years ago, a young man enslaved everyone within hundreds of miles and turned them against each other. The only solution had been his death. Now, again, it looks as though people are being controlled with the same magic. It's up to the same Celestial who stopped him before to find him and stop him again-- will they still have the same edge that they had before? Will his magic still have no effect on him? Why is he doing this?

Vinziek has an itchy scar around his neck. It's in the same place he was decapitated before.

His skin is more ashen and pale than the last time he was seen by the Celestial.
Aza is thin and short-- normal for an elf. She has black hair and teal eyes. Her skin is tanned from her time outside.

Aza was only twelve when Vinziek first set his magic on the people. She was found by Nyirr and left with a friend of his, Elrian.

She currently lives with a human shop owner, in his shop's attic, and helps with cleaning for him despite his mistreatment of her, because Elrian left one day and never returned, leaving Aza alone in his home for a week before she ran out of food, and left to find more.
 
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Name: Nyirr Truthsayer
Age: Around 600 years old

Species: Celestial Guardian (Lesser Form of an Angel)
Appearance: Graced by the light that shines through the Celestial planes, Nyirr represents its beauty and greatness on the mortal plane. Standing above the average elf in stature and size (Around 6’6”), this nearly golden skinned being resembles one of the pointy-eared nearly perfectly, with a few exceptions. He adorns the long, blond strands of the elves, along with their sapphire blue irises. Though, this man of the celestial planes was much broader and thicker than nature’s children.

His wears are a suite of used, steel splint mail with a white and golden bordered tabard with the symbol of a sun. He carries along grey robes and spare leather boots in a small pack. His weapons of choice are is a used longsword and a steel-tipped short spear, accompanied by a round, steel shield. He carries nothing more as nothing else is required for his time on the mortal plane.

Personality: Celestial Guardians represent the loyalty and stern-willed beings of the upper planes and Nyirr is no different. He is honorable and just, doing as he is asked from the upper beings of his native plane. He shows no mercy or pity for ignorance or stupidity, dismissing it swiftly and brutally. Many would think he is devoid of mortal emotions; it was far from reality. With his last descent, those twelve years ago, he had picked up on some empathy and compassion for these mortal beings and had appreciated a few that had helped him through terrible situations.

Magic: Although he has fallen to the mortal planes once more, he retains a few of his spells he knows so clearly.

- Zone of Truth: Mortals of weaker wills are forced to tell the truth when near Nyirr.
- Cleansing Fire: Summons a pillar of fire that only harms undead, fiends and users of the Dark Arts.
- Barrier : Creates a wall of luminescent light that acts as a barrier to protect against blows and some forms of magic.
 
Vinziek's hand rested on an obsidian orb. Streaks of transparency ran through it-- it was impure, but the best he had, and this time, he was expecting problems because of it. This time, he could compensate. Slowly, he breathed in, then let out the breath, and he felt his warded mind shoot into the crystal. He could feel all about it, but he was not one with it-- no, to become one with it would likely destroy him.

He used the orb, and the rod of stone that linked it to the stone floor, and slowly spread out his mind as far as he could reach. He pushed his mind upward, all at once, and he felt the mind of every person-- human and elf-- engulfed in his own. A few remained warded, but he didn't make the effort to take their wards on. No, instead he began to adjust how each person was allowed to act. He made their movements wooden and slowed their speech. These had been some of the unwanted side-effects from before. They would work for him now-- to bring that man back to his fortress. His mind left the people, though a string remained, so he could release the magic over them without having his head removed again.

He secured the strings to the orb as he pulled away, and left only a string from the orb to his own mind remaining to power the spell.

Now, he had only to wait until the activity was noticed, and hope it didn't take long. He glanced toward the clock, and his eyes caught once more on the circle that was overlapped with others-- the emblem of those "Unifiers" who gave him back his life so he could study why the stranger who removed his head last time had been completely unaffected. His gaze drifted upward, to the clock face. If he was reading it right, he'd already used up his first "hour". It had lasted two days. If his math was right, he had twenty-two days left if nothing happened to prevent his magic from energizing the Unifier magicks that kept him alive.

-----

One of those warded, a woman freed from Vinziek's spell twelve years ago, winced as she felt something touch briefly against her mind. As she looked around, those nearby moved stiffly. One's sentence cut off, only to continue more slowly. The woman's eyes widened. Had Nyirr left her some method to contact him? The elven woman hurried to the upstairs of the shop, where she lived renting the attick, and hid on the bed.

Last time she saw people acting like this, monsters had come and attacked a week later, and two days after that, humans and elves began to attack each other. The elves, with their physical prowess, overcame many humans, whose minds were too slowed for effective magic use to defend themselves. She hugged her knees. There was a reason she rented a room from a stranger instead of living with her family-- two of her three siblings had died, and her father had been hung after everyone snapped out of the spell, and he was still beating in the face of a human academy teacher. Her mother took her own life the night he hung.

"If the monsters come, nobody will survive..." She closed her eyes tightly.
 
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Twelve Years Ago…
The deed had been done, after countless weeks of searching and fighting through the waves of monsters and unfortunate innocent, mind controlled humans and elves. The one who had been behind the whole thing had his head separated from his body from a single strike of his blade. The magic that held control over the weak of will had been shattered and the continent was free from his reign. This long journey that Nyirr had lived wasn’t without aid. He had some allies, maybe even new friends, that had aided him to dispel the magic of the mage. They had permitted him to regain his wings to rejoin his brothers and sisters in the celestial planes.

Though, it was hard for the Guardian to go, as he grew a certain appreciation for the mortals he had to fight hard with to end this reign of terror. These people had helped him even though it was a task that would have taken their lives. And so, he could only appreciation and admiration for it. So, before his departure back to the upper planes, Nyirr left them all a gift. They were simple trinkets, going from rings, to bracelets, necklaces and of such. The items would allow Nyirr to find them if he ever needed to return to the mortal world for another task deemed necessary by the Holy Beings. It also represented the new friendship and trust he had for these specific mortals and he would do anything to save their souls… Or greet them once their souls would reach the upper planes. Only they who had not been warded from Vinziek’s control would remember the Guardian. Only they would know his true identity as a Guardian of the upper plane.

…Present day
Within the celestial planes, Nyirr had been approached by her Holiness; Archangel Kassandra. Within her presence, the Guardian bowed near immediately, going down on one knee and having his eyes set on the ground. Nyirr wondered how he was graced to have her in his presence once again. The last time he was so fortunate was twelve years ago… Nyirr waited until he was given the right to look up and stand that he did so. He looked into the pristine eyes of her Holiness… Where he thought he would see serenity and joy, instead found disappointment and worry. It took the Guardian by surprised, as she rarely ever got this way. Something must have happened… But what. Nyirr was hesitant to ask, but the Archangel responded as if she had read his mind.

Nyirr… Guardian of Truth. I have a task to ask of you once more. One that has to do with the events of twelve years ago.

Nyirr stayed straight, demonstrating a strong posture. The events flooded back into his mind like a raging river, submerging his thoughts. Why would she bring it up? Has something happened down on the mortal plane again?

I will do whatever you ask of me, your Holiness.

I ask of you to go back to the mortal realm. The events that have happened twelve years ago are occurring again. I suspect it has something to do with Vinziek once more.

Vinziek? The mage was dead… Why would it have to do with this man again? Was it a son or a daughter that he had that is trying to do the same thing? Could it be possible that… He was brought back from the dead? In either case, it really didn’t matter. Her Holiness was asking him to go back and it was exactly what he would do. Nyirr nodded as he answered her.

Whatever task your Holiness demands of me, I shall fulfill to the best of my capabilities.

This seemed to have brought some relief to the angelic being who put up a small smile as she approached the Guardian with long, graceful strides. “I am grateful for your acceptance, Truthsayer. Your wings will be removed once more, but we will grant you some of your magical prowess. We fear that it might be worse this time.” As she spoke those words, she laid a hand on his wings, a searing out pain burning Nyirr’s back. Yet, he did not budge; he stood strong, the pain little compared to other tortures he had lived. The feathers and bones burnt off of Nyirr’s back, leaving him with a humanoid, elf looking appearance.

May the Creators protect you.

--------------------
When Nyirr opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a vegetation invested ground. He could see a canopy of leaves blocking most of the sun’s rays. Pushing himself of the ground to a seated position, he rubbed his head, still feeling a little dizzy. He had fallen onto the mortal realm once more… And he had a task at hand. He looked around to see if there was any reason why he was fallen here specifically, but there seemed to be nothing around really. After letting his head clear up, he got up to his feet and picked up his weapons and shield, strapping them onto him… He then felt that familiar feeling of someone trying to get to his mind. It vanished about as fast as it arrived. It was exactly the same thing, although it definitely felt like there was more being the force this time.

It then occurred to him; he felt one of the trinkets he had given twelve years ago. One of them was not too far! Nyirr concentrated on that trinket, following its flow of magic… He then parted in its direction trying to find one of the few warded beings he had befriended those years ago.

The gem incrusted in the item of the elven woman started to glow lightly. The thing hadn’t done so ever since the trinket was given twelve years ago. The light had become dimmer and dimmer until Nyirr had left the mortal plane twelve years ago. Now, it was slowly gaining light and strength… It would let her know that he was there and coming.
 
For a moment, she thought the light was the man renting her the room, peeking up to tell her to get back to work. She stared a few moments, expecting his voice, but as her mind slowly pulled itself from the danger-- from the memories of twelve years ago-- she realized it was the wrong color. It wasn't the warm color of a fire. Instead, it was a pale blue, much like the sky. The color was deepy familiar, and her gaze went to her ring, only to see it emitting the dim light it had so long ago.

Her mind shot toward one thought. 'He's here!'

Despair left her mind as swiftly as it came, replaced by hope, relief, and excitement. She remembered the tall elf. He'd told her many things she didn't understand back then-- that he was not an elf, that he was from another plane. Her young mind had no idea what those meant, but she did know that he had come to save everyone, and he'd been gentle, and he'd succeeded.

Back then, she had been hiding in a cellar after being used by the local academy for some experiments in controlling, and she'd learned to fight it off, making her useless to them. They sent her home and told her how useless she was. During the chaos of twelve years ago that began shortly after, she'd been wandering the streets, crying. An abnormally tall elf found her and left her with one of his friends after they spoke for a short time. She remembered telling him about how it had felt trying to get to her, and how he put a hand on her head and thanked her.

Her mind hurried to the present. Her ring was growing brighter. She pulled on her warm clothes and hurried back downstairs, then out the door into the early autumn chill. She had to find the tall elf! Bare, calloused feet shot her forward, toward the man.

---​

Vinziek felt a tug from the orb, and his eyebrows shot up. The one who killed him before was there. His eyes lit up with excitement, and he hurried about his books. He extended his magic toward the stranger again and again, trying to learn something. Each time, his touch was feather-light, and without any harmful intent. The magic encouraged him to speak his name, or to find someone who would say it on seeing him. The magic needed to know who and what he was.

The mage's finger found his way to his mouth, and he began to excitely chew on his nail, nibbling rapidly.

He hurried to go get dressed. Touching so many minds reminded him that guests didn't appreciate nudity.

---​

All around Nyirr, the wooden-moving people parted to let him through, or blocked his path passively. They seemed to be trying to send him directly to Vinziek's fortress as Vinziek directed them to bring the stranger to him.
 
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Whoever had the trinket with them wasn’t too far… Every step the Guardian took, he could feel the being coming closer and closer. This concentration took him off from the light touches of Vinziek’s magic, ignoring it completely now. His mind had barriers not known to most of the beings of the mortal plain. He was a Guardian of Truth and he needed to protect the truth with his own life. He proceeded to try and get closer to the source of the trinket, but he came across the mind controlled entities… It was just like before, when everything had started.

Every time he wanted to proceed towards his objective, the people blocked his path and showed him a new one to follow. Why were they doing so? Last time, they would either attack them or be in the way of a chase, not blocking his way pointlessly. It eventually came to a need to push them out of the way to go forward. A time consuming task and a lot more exhausting than he had expected… But he was getting closer to the source.

Nearly swimming across people, he could see in his sight what seemed to be a radiant blue light. One of the trinkets he left! A smile crept up his face as he pushed forward a little more. Who was it? Which of his friends had he just found? It didn’t matter now; he would be happy to see whoever he had known from twelve years ago. And so, he spoke loudly, his voice booming through the ranks of mindless beings.

I am over here!” He almost yelled. He surpassed most of these beings by at least a few inches, but with a crowd like this, he couldn’t guarantee that the trinket wearer had seen him.
 
"I'm here!" She called, her voice lacking the strength of his. "I'm here!" She repeated louder as she ran forward. Despite being on the cusp of adulthood last she'd met him, she recognized his voice immediately. She turned a corner to follow his voice, and found a massive throng around him. He was pushing woodenly-moving people aside as they tried to push him back.

For a few moments, she stared. Like all elves, she had grown up small and thin. By now, she wasn't sure if he would recognize "Little Aza", but it didn't matter to her any. He came to save the world again! Aza rushed forward and began to pull the controlled people away from Nyirr, to help him through. Each glare directed at her made her wither inside. Was she hurting them?

Her thought was interrupted as one of them grabbed her-- a human-- and tossed her aside, sending her stumbling into some empty barrels by the back door of a building. She collapsed into the now-fallen pile and began to stand. Before she could, the human who tossed her shoved his hand against her chest and sent her back onto her bottom. "Do not interfere." The voice was deep and without inflection or emotion. "I don't have time for dealing with more than him."

With that human's words, the throng around Nyirr thickened, and they locked arms as they stared up at him.
 
There had been no answer to his call and it worried the Guardian greatly. Whoever bared the trinket wasn’t in sight and the light of it wasn’t shining through. It was so close; he could almost feel the heartbeat of its wearer. He tried his hardest to push through the wall of mindless beings, but their numbers and combined strength was keeping him from advancing. He could not use excessive strength on them as they were innocent people, just being controlled by whoever was behind all this.

Sundenly, Nyirr stopped completely, letting himself be surrounded. He wasn’t going to be soft with whoever was doing this. He looked into the eyes of the first person in front of him, a cold glare just fixed into their globes. He lifted his hand and pointed at said person, bellowing his words with pride and might. “You who controls these people! Tell me where the bearer of the Trinket is! I demand it!” With those words came the great magic of the heaven flowing into the air. The mage had a connection to every single one of them, he knew that… So his magic of Truth would force itself onto the controller. His aura enveloped those around, the compulsion of the magic of the Celestials digging into every single one of their minds.

Answer me!” He yelled, now having lost focus of the trinket. He wanted an answer or at least a disruption in the magic that was taking over their minds. He did not know how his own magic would interact with this one, as twelve years ago, he was left without any to hide his presence to the common folk and mages. Now, there was nothing to hold him back.
 
Around him, the threads of Vinziek's magic snapped, and people screamed in agony before they fell at Nyirr's feet. Every controlled person in the area was forcibly ripped from Vinziek's control.

From a distance, he could hear an exclamation of pain as the one who attacked Aza remained stubbornly under Vinziek's control as the mage held tightly to him. "She is here, you mule." The puppet-man's voice was monotone as he grabbed Aza and threw her towards Nyirr, letting her stumble along the way, half-dazed. "Just come to my castle and stop doing that! You're going to break their minds past repair."

"Nyirr!" She stumbled toward him, only to fall as she tripped over one of the collapsed throng.

"Nyirr..." The puppet's expression grew into an unnaturally-wide grin, and then relaxed and blinked as the human regained control of itself-- released from Vinziek's grip. "What?" He looked around, confused. "What in the hells just happened?" He scowled as his eyes landed on Nyirr and the pile of collapsed people around him. "What did you do!?" He marched closer, then carefully stepped through on his way to Nyirr, reaching for a dagger at his belt. "Are the elves growing so miserable they'll kill everyone around now!?"

Aza struggled to get up as soft bodies gave under her hand and she tried not to put too much weight on the unconscious people. She finally rose to spot the human man approaching Nyirr, dagger in hand. "Stop!" She tripped and stumbled toward him and grabbed the human, then reached forward to yank him away from her savior.
 
Pain… The screams of agony filled his ears and left him shocked. It wasn’t what he had expected, all notes of superiority and grand composure gone within seconds. The people were suffering because of what he had just done… Maybe this is why the Celestials had removed his magic the first time he had come down. It took mere seconds before all of the people who had gathered fell like flies. He looked around with wide eyes and his mouth half opened.

Only when the man spoke that he lifted his eyes towards them, seeing a familiar face. Aza…? Could it really be her? She had grown since the last time he saw her, but it was definitely her. The way the man spoke was unnatural and unfitting to his appearance. This one seemed to still be under the mage’s influence. He spoke of no repeating his actions, which Nyirr knew was better to do so. There would be no need to do it anymore.

Aza spoke his name, which immediately got his eyes to be fixed at her. It truly was Aza… The mage’s presence seemed to completely disappear, leaving the man to his own will. His questions, his reactions, all something he could expect. The scene looked bad from his point, he knew. Yet, the human approached him, now dagger at hand. Nyirr simply responded by carefully stepping towards him. As Aza tried to get involved, he stopped.

Aza! Please let him go. I will explain myself to the man.” He said in a very fluent elven tongue. He then faced the man, hoping she did what he had asked. “They are not dead, human. They are merely unconscious. I am not here to cause any harm. I am here to fix a problem that has occurred twelve years ago. I would ask that you lower your weapon.

He had little time to waste really, but he needed to reassure this innocent man that he wasn’t going to hurt him nor had he killed all these people. He needed to go to wherever this fortress is and settle this quickly.
 
The man's glare intensified as he looked back at Aza. His eyes bore into her distrustfully for a few brief moments before the woman released him, her hand jerking back in fear. She looked up toward Nyirr, then made her way to his side, eyes never leaving the human as she felt her skin crawl under his disapproving gaze. Humans, freed from the evil magic, were almost as evil as everyone became under the magic. She gripped at Nyirr's tabard, knuckles white.

As Nyirr spoke to the man, he turned his attention to the unnaturally tall elf. His weapon remained drawn as he listened, and he bent to check the pulse of a human woman, and to check that another male human was breathing before he looked up again, eyes narrowed. "Explain. Consider your life on the line if it isn't good enough. I won't tolerate an elf causing this sort of trouble."

As the man said 'elf', she flinched, but remained where she stood. She glanced up toward Nyirr, ready to defend him if he needed it.

Humans had terrifying magical powers. While she might only have strength and speed, she felt confident she could use what she had to protect the man who she knew would save everyone again.

---​

In his fortress, Vinziek gripped his head, then walked to the orb and released his spell, only to reinforce it a moment later.

---​

The man's expression went slack, and his arms dropped to his sides as the ferocity disappeared from his face. "I have limited time, and I am certain you want to know why I have summoned you, Nyirr. Come immediately."
 
Nyirr watched Aza come to his side, a worried expression now showing. There was little he could really do in this situation other than explain himself to the man. There was no need to become violent with someone who couldn’t understand the situation. The man was checking for the pulse of the downed human beings and Nyirr made no threat to approach him. He simply waited until the man was done.

The human seemed convinced that his fellow human were still alive, but the weapon remained drawn. Nyirr nodded to him as he asked for the explanation. There, it would probably go more smoothly. He put a hand on Aza’s shoulder and spoke gently to her. “It will be fine Aza.

He took a few steps forward before he started giving his explanation. “I have come here to prevent what…” He stopped as the man’s body became limp. The mage’s magic was at work once more and the human lost any emotional features his face had beforehand. Nyirr narrowed his eyes, not pleased by this at all. He simply stared the man down as he spoke… He knew his name? Odd. It didn’t matter now. He asked for him to go to his fortress. Unfortunately, he would have to comply. It wasn’t what he expected to do now, but it was best he dealt with it.

I will come immediately, but leave the people of this town alone. There is no need for them to be in harm’s way.” He stated, walking back to the elven lady. Nyirr looked down at her, putting a hand on each of her shoulders. “I need you to get away from here… I feel like this isn’t what I expect it is going to be. After it is done, I will find you and bring you somewhere safe.” He’d hope that she would heed his advice and get out as soon as she could. The mage had demanded his presence and it wasn’t normal. He knew what would await him if he made his presence there, so why invite him?
 
"I will release the hold I have on the whole country if you come and promise that you will not kill me straight away. As you can see, I've hurt nobody. If I had a better way to summon you, I would have tried it." The emotionless face of the man sighed. "Once you start walking, I'll release everyone."

Aza looked up at Nyirr, trying to read his face. "Things have changed since last time... can I at least escort you part of the way? To make sure you can find it?" She bit her lip as her eyes continued to search his face. She didn't want to leave his side-- not yet. Not after they'd only just found each other. She let her eyes fall onto his ears. He wasn't human. He wouldn't be mad if she went against him regardless-- or at least, he wouldn't lash out. She hoped. "I'll go with you anyway." She blurted. "I will. You can't get rid of him if you don't know the way!"

"Agh- I'm not going to hurt anyone. Last time was an error, not on purpose." The emotions from his choice of words didn't come through on his puppet.

Aza shuddered as she heard the emotionless delivery of the words, then whispered into Nyirr's chest as she rested her head against it. "I don't like these human magics."

The human puppet woodenly rolled his eyes, face still slack, then walked to a barrel, righted it, and sat on top of it to wait and watch.
 
Nyirr had heard the deal the mage had offered, one he had not imagined ever hearing from him. His eyes had turned and raised to the emotionless man, a curious glare painted on Nyirr’s face. Would he actually follow through with his word? And again, he mentioned summoning him, which meant he wanted him to be there. For what purpose? He’d figure it out, as he had no other choice than to face the man anyway.

Aza had offered to guide him there. It was an option he wished he hasn’t heard. He couldn’t fully trust the mage and bringing her into danger was against what he was trying to do for her. Yet… It is true that he did not know the way. He could have the mage guide him there, but he preferred that he released everyone instead. He lowered his gaze to the young elf, hesitant to give her an answer. She further reinforced her desire to follow, to which Nyirr only sighed.

If you so wish to guide me there, then so be it. If there is any sign of danger, I want you to stay back Aza. I do not wish to see you get hurt.” He spoke with a surprisingly light and concerned tone, different from his impartial or marble cold answers. To her words about magic, he looked towards the possessed man. “They are not all used selfishly Aza. Not all humans have the rotten souls that the elves think they have…” He put a hand on her head, stroking it gently before he turned and lifted his arm. “Please guide the way Lady Aza.
 
Aza nodded. She would hide behind him if danger appeared, but... she couldn't agree that there might be kind and gentle humans. The closest was her landlord, who regularly beat her and 'forgot' to pay her, then told her she was fortunate he let her live above the shop at all, because she was an elf, and it was inevitable she would try to steal from him.

"This..." She paused to steady her voice. "This way." She took his arm and began to carefully step over the collapsed humans and elves. She only stepped on one-- a human-- and that one, she stepped hard on his hand before she continued, pretending she hadn't just lashed out at a human-- a specific human. "It... the old fortress is this way."

The puppet watched the two as they left.

---

Vinziek began to gently release people from his hold, saving the puppet for last, to ensure the pair were on their way. He didn't like the idea of letting them wander, but Nyirr seemed willing with the promise of his release of the people.

He was losing his hostages. He was losing his control. That was a stupid offer!
 
Nyirr wondered what had happened to this young elf girl he knew before. She was always a scared, innocent child who had been through a lot in her youth, but she had been strong. He had left her in the hands of a good friend when he left, but he wasn’t with her anymore. Why would she have left him? What has happened to the fellow? He had thought her being brought up in a less stressful environment, but look at her now. She was here, with humans.

The Guardian followed the young lady, not saying much for a little part of the way. Then, suddenly, he came to a stop. His eyes laid upon her, a deep sorrow in his expression. He brought a hand up to her cheek, his eyes into hers. “What happened to you Aza… I can almost feel the fear and weight of your past years. Where did Elrian go?” He asked, deeply worried of what her pas years had been. He wasn’t going to force his magic onto her. She would tell him if she wanted. “Please, don’t be afraid to tell me.
 
Every step Nyirr made was watched by the puppet, and finally, as Vinziek agreed, he released the man once Nyirr was out of sight, leaving a very confused human. He even repaired the damage to the minds of human and elf alike in the group who had been trying to herd the Guardian.

Aza stopped as he did, and looked up in surprise. "Huh?" She stared with wide teal eyes for a few moments before she flushed and looked away. "He left. He walked out like he was just going to work, and I never saw him again." She stopped as her voice caught in her throat. She trusted Nyirr completely, but she didn't want to relive that through the telling of him. "Things have been hard." Her mouth, against her wishes, continued to babble. "The food in his house lasted a week, and then there was the begging, and... I was offered a place to live by a human shopkeeper if I did the work he didn't want to." She leaned against the tall elf who had saved her from more academic abuses as a child. "Being an elf is a curse." The final words became quieter with each syllable.

Absently, she pulled some hair in front of her ears.

Behind them, the sound of people groaning as they slowly got up came to their ears.

"What happened?" One woman asked.

"Last I remember, I was scrubbing pots at the inn..." A young man murmured. "I'm going to be fired..."

"I'll speak up for you this time, elf. I could be fired, too." An annoyed-sounding woman grunted. Other conversations around soon turned everything into babble.
 
The story the young elf spoke of wasn’t what he would have expected to hear. Elrian had left her to her own life, which didn’t seem to be like him at all. He wouldn’t simply leave if Nyirr had asked him to take care of her. The questioned now was what happened to Elrian? Where could he have gone or what happened for him to not come back? It worried the Guardian greatly that this man might now possibly be dead or worse. He would have to find out what happened to his friend when all of this was over… If Kassandra would grant him the time to do it.

She continued on with how she came to be in the town she currently is in and he didn’t need to hear the rest to understand what she had to go through. The celestial one brought his arms up and wrapped around the small elven woman slender body. He gave her a soft embrace, on hand now resting on her head. “Forgive me… If I would have known, I wouldn’t have left you with him.” He said softly, his rough, harsh tone now gone when speaking to her. He closed his eyes a moment. “I will personally take care of finding a place for you to be at peace. I promise you.” He nearly whispered to her… It is then he heard the voices. His eyes shot open and he let her go.

We have to move before they can see us. Let us hurry to the fortress.” He said, gently tugging along the elven lady to get out of there. The faster they could take care of this, the faster he could help out Aza and maybe the rest of those that had helped twelve years ago.
 
"I don't blame you. She sighed, then paused as her own ears picked up the sounds of rousing voices. She looked up toward Nyirr, then nodded at his suggestion of hurrying along.

Her skirt flapped against her legs as she hurried forward, refusing to let go of his arm. She knew the roads-- she'd lived in them for a few years, after all. The voices disappeared behind them, and she continued still, legs moving swiftly. It was no surprise she was quick-- she was an elf, after all. Her tiny, delicate-seeming body hid compact, efficient muscle.

The two finally left the city, and only then did she stop. She glanced back toward the city that had her current life, and knew she would be evicted and fired by the time she returned. Saving everyone from an evil mage was more important, though she felt a pang of loss for her lovely blue dress and matching ribbon. She would save and buy a new one-- one with a little lace along the bottom hem, perhaps, or some nice buttons to close the neck.

She yanked herself from such selfish thoughts and began walking again. Nyirr needed a guide-- regardless if he knew the way or not.

Mostly, he needed a guide because she wanted to be with him.
 
Nyirr couldn’t help but think that it was his fault that she was in this kind of situation. The Aza he knew of twelve years ago was a child that needed a family, yet instead left her with a friend of his instead of returning her to her people. It was a poor decision of his part, he could see it now. He couldn’t let that happen again.

Nyirr had followed the lead of the young elven lady as they exited the city. It was quite a surprise to the Guardian to see the swift movements of the elf. He had forgotten how the elves of the world could move so efficiently compared to the humans of this world. Nyirr even had some difficulty to stay in motion with her, not being used to this type of run. He didn’t have the great dexterity the elves held, but surpassed it by his supernatural strength and stamina.

The duo eventually came to a stop with Aza looking back to where they had come from. Nyirr followed her gaze, wondering what had just passed in her head. He couldn’t quite form out what she was thinking about, but her expression held everything he needed to understand. He didn’t say a word, letting her thoughts turn into her mind… She then quietly started walking again. He too gave the path one more glance, knowing she would probably never see that place again, then walked by Aza’s side.

He couldn’t think of much more he could do right now for her. It was already worrisome enough that she was coming along to the fortress of the mage… He couldn’t tell her not to, he had no authority to do it. He didn’t know what would await at the castle, but he didn’t fear whatever was inside. He would face the one who had summoned his presence… It was still to wonder why the man had done it.
 
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