Narnia: Rich In Mercy (artisticHeart and Lillianette)

artisticheart

Edgepeasant
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Fantasy, Romance, Modern, Slice-of-Life, Fandom
This wasn't right.
None of this was right.

Rinnica should have been back in her village, preparing for the upcoming festival and practicing her dance. She could have been helping to decorate. She could have been helping wherever she was needed all while excitedly chatting away with the other dryads, but no... she was here, in a dark and unsettling place where all sorts of suspicious characters ran amuck. Minotaurs here, dwarves there, grizzly bears too, all with one goal in mind - to cause havoc for those not in line with their wishes and desires.

The young dryad thought she was set free - she thought that all of Narnia was set free! The battle was won when the Great Lion Aslan gave the killing bite to Jadis the White Witch, and as he said, and the hamadryads relayed this to the masses: "It is finished." So why... why on Narnia's green land were there still those trying to keep the White Witch's despicable wish alive?!

"You there, dryad!"

Rinnica was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt herself being shoved into the table in front of her. Turning around slowly, she turned to look into the face of one of the clan's leaders. Furious black and gold eyes stared back at Rinnica.

The tiefling man spoke up. "Why haven't you finished those potions yet? Our fighters need it for strength and we haven't all day."

"You're ... terrible," Rinnica stammered out. "You know the true Kings and Queens of Narnia, and above them its true ruler! If Aslan were here right here and now he'd--"

The dryad's mouth was suddenly covered. The outburst had caused a stir, but as the tiefling kept Rinnica down, quickly everyone went back to work on their tasks.

"Listen here, Dryad," the tiefling whispered harshly. "I want to help you out of here, but you're going to have to listen to my instructions carefully. If you don't keep your mouth shut and your hands busy, the chief of this mission will be ruthless in destroying you and your village. Now go back to work and don't cause any more trouble, got it?"

Reluctantly, the dryad nodded her head. The tiefling removed his hand and stood up. A dwarf walked up to the two of them, and turned to face the man with the horns.

"Kain, the chief wants to see you immediately," he said.

With a huff, Kain turned around and walked off with the dwarf, leaving Rinnica in front of her table of ingredients. Rinnica ran a hand through her hair and got caught in a knot. Where her dark brown hair was once brushed ever so neatly, now it was matted and tangled, and the twigs and leaves of the setting were her ornaments. This whole ordeal was starting to be too much for Rinnica to bear, but she couldn't cry yet. Instead, she did as she was told and kept her hands busy - grinding, measuring, and mixing ingredients until the recipes were complete.

"Aslan," Rinnica prayed in her mind. "set me free from this place."

----

The castle of Cair Paravel was lively on this day. Everyone had something to do, something to attend to. Surely it would be a busy day for everyone, and King Edmund knew it in his bones as he walked down the corridor to the meeting hall. It had been a full year since Aslan had coronated him and his siblings as the Kings and Queens of Narnia. Frankly Edmund wanted the Lion himself to be walking down with him and handling this stressful situation. He had only been king for a short time and felt nowhere near prepared to lead this meeting let alone the whole of Narnia.

A hand rested on Edmund's shoulder, and the young king nearly jumped. Edmund looked up, and saw the serious yet gentle gaze of his mentor and guide Oreius. "Peace, King Edmund," he said. "Those chosen to lead will be given wisdom and strength to do so."

"I feel skipped over a little in that regard," Edmund replied, hiding his fear with a short laugh.

Oreius gave a small smile. "I assure you, you haven't. He gives freely to all who need it, you know this well."

Edmund knew exactly who Oreius was talking about, and his smile widened with newfound confidence. Seeing Edmund relax, Oreius continued speaking.

"The finest fighters are here beyond this door. Many have fought with us in the war against Jadis. Some are allies from another land. You may recognize a few: Arthur, Ciel, Elijah Beryl... all ready for the task ahead."

"Then inside we go," Edmund replied. He was the first to open the door, walking to knights and fighters with their heads down, bowing in respect...
 
On strict orders, Eva was given the chance to perform a rescue mission of sorts. One that would likely retrieve a decent amount of aid for Aslan while burdening the White Witch. Evangelion Adair was an Elven Druid. The Elven population was nearly extinct with but three others aside from her remaining. She was the oldest of the bunch and the leader, but it wasn't as if that meant a whole lot.

Back when her village was destroyed, she escaped with barely her life. Had it not been for Aslan himself, she'd have perished. The young woman was put into a small boat and pushed off by her mother, crying, praying that she would be safe elsewhere while the rest burned to a crisp.

The person who found the child was none other than the King of Narnia. He took the girl under his care and raised her as if she were his own. He taught her everything that he could. Languages, druidic arts, about her ancestors, and so on. Although the woman was raised by a Lion, she was brought up under the customs of her bloodline.

Nearly a hundred years had passed since then and that brought us to now. The druid was on a solo mission to release as many prisoners as possible without risking her life in the process. So far, things were going the way she hoped. She shifted from various animals to manipulate her surroundings. As a mouse, she was able to sneak into the castle without any issues. Unlike most animals, she didn't smell the way they did. She was clean and didn't mess of anything but a humanoid regardless of form.

Eva had purposely waited on the wolves to be elsewhere before finding her way to the caged rooms that held her targets. The number of guards was smaller than she expected, but that mattered little to her. They were likely to still be a struggle for her to take down.

She weaved in and out of places until she found herself at the foot of the dryad, climbing up on the table where she worked. When she knew the woman saw her, she moved her little finger in front of her mouth to signal for her to be quiet as she worked. One by one, she effectively picked each lock using her tiny appendages. Each prisoner, she signaled for them to wait calmly for her signal before doing anything. Telling them they would know what it was when it happened. She did so by climbing atop most of the prisoner's and whispering to them, but that wasn't the case with all of them.

As she finished the last lock, she moved out into the open where she shifted into an enormous white lioness. She was nowhere close to the size of Aslan, but she was quite the threat. The first guard in her way she pounce, going straight for the jugular and ripping clean through. By now, many of the prisoners had opened their doors and jumped into fighting where they could, grabbing at every little object in attempt to help.

Eva was about to move onto another guard when out of the corner she noticed the man that burned her village down those years ago. Rage set in, an emotion she rarely ever felt. "You! I seems fate has blessed me with far more than a successful rescue mission!" She yelled as she picked up speed to charge the man with little idea he was doing nothing aside from orders.

---

Elijah made the time pass by quicker by engaging in small talk with the other warriors. Though when the younger King walked through the room, all went silent. He knelt down with his blade at the front of him, one he often carried in the event that things went south. It was a logical thing to do, but mostly one prompted on by his paranoia.

Upon given the cue that he could rise, he did as such, sheathing his blade. They each took their assigned seat around a round table, turning their gaze to the King Edmund. His siblings were off doing their own things while Edmund was pushed to discuss with the other leaders what to do regarding the remaining followers of Jadis.

The leaders weren't supposed to say anything until they were addressed, even if they were older than the king. It was a simple matter of respect. Elijah could see that the small mouse-like creature was prompting the nervous young man to speak. As humorous as it was, Eli kept a straight face. He knew at one point he was the same way.



Back when Elijah became a warrior, he was trained by his father. From the age five and on, he was taught the ways of the sword and raised to be a fighter. He recalled his first time having to give a speech was when his father passed away. The man was a respected knight and died in battle. At his funeral, he was asked to speak on his father because he knew him the best out of everyone aside from his lover. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done. Although the situation was different, he didn't envy Edmund's position. Shaking away his thoughts, he turned his attention back to the Second King.
 
Rinnica forced herself to stay focused. She started reciting a mantra for herself in her mind. "One petal here, three grass blades there, add the pulp, grab a bottle. One petal here, three glass blades there, add the pu-- "

What her fingers touched certainly wasn't the pulpy mixture, but the texture of fur. Rinnica gasped, recoiling at the sight of Eva's mouse form. She was about to shoo her away until she realized that the mouse was no ordinary mouse. Did the mouse just shush her? She was definitely a Narnian mouse in the truest form! The dryad watched while she worked, much more slowly so she could keep an eye on the mouse. In increasing shock, she watched as she picked not only her lock but the locks of those neighboring her and beyond. Keeping quiet as instructed, she now only pretended to be mixing her concoctions until it was time to escape...

Meanwhile, in another room, Kain stood in front of the illegal prison's warden. "Yes, Elren. She's been producing the potions you've asked for," Kain answered him.

Elren, a satyr with a mess of charcoal colored fur, let a grin curl up on his mouth. "Perfect. And if you find anyone else who knows how to create potions, I want you to take them by whatever mean's necessary--"

The sound of a loud scream, and a mass battle cry to follow, pierced through the jail. Immediately Kain and Elren moved to the heart of the action and grimaced at the sight of the slain guard. Elren looked up and locked eyes with the dryad Rinnica. At once she began to flee as fast as she could.

"Guards!" Elren called, "arrest the prisoners!"

The satyr then grabbed Kain forcefully and continued his orders. "Get the dryad - she's the only potion-maker we have. Without her, this mission is for nothing!"

With that, the tiefling fighter took off after the dryad. He made sure to run just enough to make it look like he was trying, but not so much that the dryad couldn't get some distance away and hide. Just be smart, Dryad, he thought to himself. All she needed to do was jump in the bushes and Kain would fake being unable to catch her. He was about to slow down but saw a flash of white coming after him. Immediately he dove out of the way but got clipped by claws on his back. Kain turned to see what attacked him and looked into the face of a white lioness. He had not jailed anyone of the sort, but the eyes looked familiar. It seemed that there would be no reasoning with her, and began to light a red-hot fire from his fingertips. Just enough to make her flee, he promised himself. At least there was now a valid excuse on how the dryad escaped.

---

"Go on then, your highness!" a talking mouse warrior said with confidence. That confidence quickly waned when Oreius the centaur gave him a stern eye. "W-Whenever you feel ready," the mouse quickly amended.

King Edmund couldn't help but smirk, and the tension began to leave him. "Before I begin, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you. My thanks to those who have stood by us since Beruna, and who have come from afar to aid us during this time.

"The High King, Peter Pevensie, has chosen me to be the leader over this endeavor, because of the first-hand experience I had with the Witch. King Peter, Oreius and I know where most of her followers would be, and what clans are where. However, this issue is coming to a fever pitch, as many clans are now being more aggressive in their pursuit of the throne. Recently, there have been several reported kidnappings, including a dryad from the village roughly twenty kilometers east and several Narnians from the town south of Cair Paravel. I've called you all together to investigate problem areas, set free any and all captives you can, and arrest these followers of Jadis."

When Edmund finished his opening speech, he took a breath (a little louder than he wanted). He nodded to Oreius and in turn, Oreius turned to the audience of warriors. "Are there any questions?"
 
Eva paid no mind to the fire at Kain's fingertips. If anything, it filled her with more rage. "You took everything from me!" She spat her words in his direction, ignoring all others around her as she pounced the man. Her three hundred-something pound body pinning him to the ground. More than revenge, the elven druid wanted answers. "You murdered my family and friends! I'm the last of five. Why?!" Her voice was growing by the moment. "Why did you do this? What have my people ever done to you!?" The words strong and powered though her emotions threatened to burst like a crack in a dam.

The look of confusion on his face made Eva realize that he didn't recognize who she really was. It was something she rarely ever did anymore, but she shifted into her humanoid form. The weight never lifted from Kain, though it was lighter as she reappear from a mist with her foot on his chest. The other was to his side. If need be, she was ready to shift into whatever necessary form to kill the man.


"I'll give you the time to answer my questions and figure out what God you wish to pray to for redemption. For your sake, I hope they're merciful!" Her words were obviously sarcastic, and the woman who was once very kind and loving felt nothing but anger and hatred. It wasn't just for him. It was for most humanoids. Kain wasn't the only one who massacred her people. Janis was the main reason.

There were few exceptions to the rules, but most humanoids she greatly disliked. The Kings and Queens weren't on the list. They were from an entirely different world and sent to save Narnia, not harm it. However, many other humanoid species in Narnia were evil.That was the sole reason that Eva found herself mostly rescuing the other animals or animal-like species. This, however, was a special case.

Aslan had specifically sent Eva alone on this mission in hope to catch Janis's followers off guard. The majority of Narnia was celebrating the year anniversary of the coronation. That was the reason she was sent on that day. The followers weren't expecting an raid on a holiday. Even if they did somehow catch on, one person wasn't a huge lose, and Eva wasn't outsmarted easily.

---

There were questions indeed. Ones that Elijah was unsure if he had the right to ask. Time and time again, there were those who repeatedly abused the welcoming arms of Aslan's followers. The numbers were small in actuality, but the damage they caused was never pretty. If Eli was being honest, the statistics laid about at a 4% chance that the people they rescued would turn on them. However, that didn't make it any easier on him.

In fact, Elijah had lost his father the same way. His father had trusted someone aligned with the wrong side and found a knife in his back. And yet, his father's words were to not let his death change the person that he was. Specifically telling him not to close off his kind nature to others, yet Eli couldn't. Although he promised his father, he found it nearly impossible to trust anyone blindly ever again. In fact, he was known for interrogating those that "redeemed" themselves. At times, that entailed mental abuse. Other times, it was physical. As much as he wanted to be like his father, he felt that he wasn't as strong of a man as he was.

Getting orders to release captives and potentially welcome them back was unsettling. Though, he couldn't bring himself to argue. He simply nodded. Little did the King know, but Aslan himself had spoken to the knights. They explained that they would be going in after the lone druid to clean up anything she missed first. Whether that was slaying followers or rescuing captives, that was the goal. "No, sir, no questions from me." He spoke lowly, afraid of what was to come.
 
Rinnica felt her insides churn seeing the way the guard died. Maybe being an attendant or medic in Aslan's army a year ago would have been a bad idea. Inwardly, Rinnica thanked the Lion and her village's officials for not letting her go.

She was not a fighter in the slightest. She was never trained even in matters of self defense, so when all of the captives began to jump the guards, all Rinnica could do was run. Rinnica could hear screaming, and roaring, from the jail and camp a way's away, and crawled to hide herself further. Unexpectedly, her prayer for deliverance had been answered.

Rinnica had to let the others know she was okay. Looking around at the trees of the forest, she examined them. Which one was friend and which was an enemy? "Dryad please, lend me your petals," she whispered.

In a moment, rich, pink petals began to form into a woman's shape, and her hand rested on Rinnica's hand. Rinnica recognized the hamadryad roaming her own village and others as well, and smiled warmly.

"Please, miss, tell Vi Alana, my village, that I am safe, and to get help as soon as possible," Rinnica whispered. Rinnica blinked, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "And, this next request may be farfetched, it's okay if you can't do this," she began, "but if the Lion roams the land right now... tell him I said 'Thank you.'"

---

Kain yelled out when jumped, grunting with the weight of the lioness on his chest. This one was strong. Wit and wisdom was going to help Kain out of this more than physical power. Listening to the lioness' words, his eyes widened. Did she really think he wanted to do what he did?! Mass murder was not his desire in the slightest, and to be accused of that made his anger boil. He knew his eye color was changing from yellow to red, and he had to calm down somehow.

"Who are you?!" he asked. By this time the lioness had changed from being a lioness to a womanly figure, a druid elf. Kain studied her white hair, and the memories began flooding back, of when the White Witch ordered the destruction of this woman's village. She was but a child at the time, but Kain could remember the features of not only her, but her family, even after 100 years time.

"Druid," Kain said through a shaking, angry (and maybe even panicked, he didn't know which) breath. "If you let me go, and we both go farther away from this place, I will give you answers. Here is not good, Elren will be able to find us soon."

--

As Elijah spoke, the many other knights agreed that there were no questions. Oreius looked to King Edmund, and Edmund began to speak.

"Well then," he began. "Oreius has your investigation orders, and for some your battle plans, he will take the lead from here. Good day, gentleman."

Edmund bowed his head and turned to leave the room. Oreius took his spot and laid out papers on the table. He began to explain the first plan, about a clan lead by a satyr was kidnapping innocent Narnians for work. Unknown to Oreius, he was only restating what the Lion said about this particular area, minus information about the druid.

"Now Elijah," Oreius said, turning to him. "You will be leading a group of five to this clan." Oreius then began to list off the people in his group: Elijah, Arthur, Amethyst the female centaur, a Narnian grizzly bear named Oak, and Gold the fox. "For this mission, time is of the essence, so the five of you are dismissed. Be wise and be safe."
 
Every ounce of Eva's body urged her to finish the tiefling right then and there, but she hesitated. She knew better. Hatred only bred hatred. In a way, she thought death was too easy a punishment for such a man that eliminated an entire race. The sight of him made her sick.

Her glare didn't waver but she did step back and shift into a Friesian mare. "You have one chance to redeem yourself. One!" The nostrils of the steed flared as she waited for the man to mount up.

There was one particular prisoner she was concerned about. She didnt believe she could wait for the clear up crew to find her. She was the most skillful of the group and likely to be tracked heavily.

Not only that, Aslan explained that the girl wasn't a fighter. She would have little chance at defending herself. She could easily get captured all over again or find herself tortured. Eva doubted they would kill her simply because she was so useful, but she wasn't about to take her chances.

Listening closely for movements, her ears flicked back and forth. She thought she heard the tiniest of movements and she took off on that direction. Surely enough, she found herself in front of the tan skinned girl.

"Quickly, dyrad, we need to get out of here," the horse knelt down part of the way to give the woman an easier time to mount up. "I am your rescue. The mouse from earlier," the druid spoke much more gently to the girl even though there was a sense of urgency to it. She was tempted to warn the tiefling that she would trample him if he so much as thought of hurting the girl.

---

Elijah looked downward towards Oreius, nodding along to what he said. "Consider it done," he gave a small bow before dismissing himself. Quickly, he went to gather his troops outside of the ones already present.

"We will be leaving shortly. When you're ready, meet me outside the center flag post," he said to the two warriors that weren't at the meeting before gathering his own supplies. It wasn't much, just some simple first aid things, snacks, and a leather pouch filled with water. He carried his weapons with him at all times aside from when he slept. Even then, they were nearby either under his pillow or at his side.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, everyone was ready. "You all know the drill. There is no point in me hammering it through you all again. Instead, let's make this quick. All prisoners are to be given to me and I will decide who is deemed worthy to join our ranks or pass them off to higher ups for their decisions. Let's be off," his voice was low and powerful as it always was.

He started walking in the direction of the clan. Normally he would ride horseback, but that wasn't an option when his comrades consisted of a bear and fox. He didn't mind all too much regardless.

Elijah remained quiet, lost in thought. He wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Or rather not anymore. Very rarely would he strike up a conversation for fun. He spoke as needed and that was it.
 
Kain was hesitant to mount the now-mare. She could have been lying, but Kain decided he would prepare for the worst. The main focus was to distract Elren, however that may be done. He climbed onto her back and let her lead on a stone's throw away to the dryad Rinnica. He stared at her, giving a slight nod as Eva spoke.

Rinnica almost thought the clan was after her, and she turned frightfully to the sound. As Eva explained herself, her eyes widened with shock, she turned to Kain, then back to Eva, and quickly climbed on. Before they left, Rinnica nodded to the petal-woman in front of her. "I'll leave it to you, then."

Rinnica then spoke to Eva. "How did you know I was here? Did someone from Vi Alana send you?"

--

Elijah's troops obeyed without question. Within fifteen minutes, everyone was off to Elren's clan. The group was hesitant to start any conversations, fearing any tension from their leader. The only brave one was Oak the bear, who seemed to walk with peaceful confidence.

"He's done it again," Oak said softly. "Aslan. He had every detail right. Honestly I was surprised when Oreius gave the command almost word for word."

Arthur then spoke up. "Wish I could have been there, but that's why he's the true king of Narnia and why the Witch was never gonna be queen."

The man turned to Elijah, who was closest and gave a confident smile.
 
Getting back to her hoofs, the druid didn't wait to take off towards the main city that Aslan's followers resided. "No, Aslan gave me orders. How he got the information, he did say," her response was curt. Her focus being on escaping and that alone.

---

Elijah had his doubts. It wasn't that he didn't trust Aslan's judgement, but his past made it hard for him to blindly follow like many of his followers did. "Yes, it appears he was correct again," his voice was neutral as it normally was.

"I only hope he is right about them being redeemed," the man shook his head and didn't return his smile to Arthur. Instead, he walked a few feet in front of the others to be alone in his thoughts.

Gold looked to the other groupmates, speaking barely above a whisper. "Is he always this cranky?" The fox hadn't had any prior interaction with Eli to know for certain, only fighting on the same battlefield at some point.

Amethyst laughed, speaking louder than she should have. It wasn't in a Centaur's nature to speak quietly. "It is normal. Though you can't exactly blame him when his father was assassinated by a rescue," the woman shrugged her strong shoulders.

It was hard not to overhear the conversation at this point, but Elijah ignored it asides from narrowing his gaze. He knew he wasn't the most pleasant of people, but he got the job done one way or another.

---

A while of traveling by other parties and the two crossed paths. The large black steed pulled to a halt. "Elijah, I have the Dyrad. She is yours to take, but the Tiefling is my own to interrogate," she spoke plainly.

The man nodded at his superior. "Well that simplifies matters. We will take her to know where the others might be. Should you need help, you know where to find it," he walked over to the side of the mare. "Dyrad, my name is Elijah. I serve Aslan and the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. If you'd be so kind to lead us where you came, we plan to slay Jadis's followers and rescue the others."
 
Last edited:
Oak frowned at Amethyst and Gold talking about Elijah nearly openly. "All right, that's enough," he scolded. Turning to Elijah, he nodded his head. "Please don't be offended sir."

--

At finding out just who sent Eva, Rinnica felt the wind knocked out of her and audibly gasped. Didn't... Didn't she just pray, not even thirty minutes ago, to be released? Given the timeline of events, it was if the Lion knew what to do even before she asked. "Have mercy..." Rinnica breathed.

Kain looked behind a bit at the dryad. He knew of Aslan and secretly supported him despite being under Jadis for so long. While Jadis was alive, there were no switching sides no matter how much he wanted to. Leaving her side meant certain death, and she and her minions had him beaten to submission since his first day on the job. Kain was forced to do her every bidding, even during the first battle of Beruna. He could remember the fight, and when Aslan raised his head to say "It is finished." Kain felt like that was the start of freedom...

The tiefling was brought out of his thoughts when they came up to the other party. He kept quiet as Eva explained the situation. He felt the stare of Arthur on him and glared a bit back. Arthur quickly turned to look at Elijah instead.

"G-Good afternoon," Rinnica greeted to Elijah. She let him speak, and seemed to be okay with everything he said, up until he asked her to lead them back to the prison, and she nearly was sent into a panic.

"Sir, please. With all due respect, you can't make me go back there!" Rinnica pleaded. She jumped off of Eva and in front of Elijah. "There is a hamadryad close by who will show you the way, just please don't take me!"

"Miss," a woman's voice spoke up. The aforementioned hamadryad formed its figure with its petals and faced the young (by dryad years) Rinnica. "Didn't you want me to search for Aslan as well?"

"Search for Aslan," Oak scoffed under his breath. How innocent the dryad was. Nearly all of Narnia knew the phrase: "He wasn't a tame lion." The hamadryad could either find him in a minute's time or in a century's, and there'd be no in-between.

In the meantime, Rinnica spoke with the hamadryad. "Y-Yes...I did," she replied.

"Then it would be best for you to accompany this group. Besides, you know who is who of the clan."

Rinnica looked uneasily at the hamadryad, but relaxed her shoulders and turned to Elijah. "I..." she stammered. "I will go, but keep me as far away from Elren the satyr as possible. If he finds me, I'll be captured again and who knows what he'll do!"
 
Elijah shook his head at Rinnica's request. "I have strict orders to follow, and I plan to see them through. You won't be captured again. I would advise against doubting my comrades and Aslan," he was stern. More than usual considering what had just happened prior to the groups arrival. "No harm will come of you, considering we deem you an ally."

Amethyst spoke up once more, again speaking of something he didn't exactly care to be reminded of. "Aslan already informed us she was harmless. She has no combat skills and seems to be a skilled herbalist and apothecary," the centaur spoke firmly per usual.

A narrowed gaze came from Elijah. "Yes, but that doesn't mean she's innocent. A spy. A distraction. Or any other term you can use to describe and ally to Janis. Our job is to rescue them all, not decide their fate. At least not yet," he snapped sharply before pointing in the direction Eva came. "We don't have time to sit and argue. You heard what they said. Time is of the essence."

Once again, Eli motioned for the Dyrad to guide the way. "If you would." This time, his tone was more demanding. He was rather on edge. He wasn't so concerned about the Dyrad as he was the others. Especially a Tiefling. A man with demonic blood. He wondered what other interesting beings he would be supposed to ally with.

"Thank you again, Eva. Take care. Most importantly though, take caution," Elijah dismissed himself from the conversation and started walking to find any of his target. Be that rescues or followers. He was prepared for both.

---

"You are in good hands, Dyrad. Just stay with the group and you'll be just fine," Eva bowed her head in respect to her comrades. "I wish you all a safe journey and a quick return," she sounded nothing like she did when she spoke to Kain. With that, she continued walking until she got deeper in the city. "Get off," she demanded of the man.

After he did, she shifted back into her elven form. "Follow," she took him to one of the interrogation rooms. One adorned with torture devices only in extreme cases. It was the dark reality of war. At times, one had to resort to cruel actions for the betterment of a larger mass of beings. She let him walk inside before closing the door behind him.

For now, she had little intentions of using the machinery around. It wasn't her style. She'd quickly pass off the job for another to do if worse came to worst. "I assume this is far enough away. What possible reason do you have for wiping my race clean off the face of Narnia?"
 
"What?!" Rinnica gasped at the leader. "Why would I ever doubt him of all--"

But Amethyst had chimed up, saying what Aslan had said of her. Goodness. Aslan was sticking up for her even from faraway places. She hoped the hamadryad would find him, if she could.

Amethyst's defense of Rinnica would prove mute in the ears of Elijah, and the dryad looked ready to cry from shock and frustration. Wasn't he the one who just told her not to doubt Aslan?! She was already rattled enough from being in that jail cell. Rinnica was about to protest, but Eva spoke words of comfort to the situation. If the one who rescued her says it would be okay, then she supposed she would have to be okay with it.

"Okay," she caved. "It's not much farther."

Rinnica began walking towards Elren's camp. Oak fell back to whisper to Elijah. "Sir, if I may," he began. "I know it's hard to trust those that have been in Jadis' follower's hands, but look at her. It was as Aslan said. You can be harsh with anyone else but I tell you, this girl is not the one!"

--

Kain kept his mouth shut as Eva rode on into the city. He'd obey promptly each time, mounting off when told, following when told. When they got inside the interrogation room, nothing seemed to phase him as he looked at the equipment. The pain on that thing was nothing compared to what he had experienced, what he had done.

When Eva addressed him, Kain kept his voice level and quiet. "As you are under orders now by Aslan, so I was under orders by Jadis," he replied. "It was not my wish to do that, but the White Witch's orders."
 
Elijah turned to look at the bear beside him. "I know she doesn't fit any description of an enemy, but we can not allow blind trust. Those that are let into our ranks need to be interrogated at least once, just to get what information out of said person. From then on out, it is a matter of best judgement whether they need additional interrogation, torture, or prison. I suspect one interrogation will do with the Dyrad, but even if she looked like an innocent woman, I can not risk anymore lives. Once was more than enough," he sighed. It wasn't that he disagreed with the bear or the others' views.

It was just plain hard to forget his past or to find solace in it. After all, he watched his father be killed right in front of him. The very image haunted him to the day, primarily during his slumbers "I'll take care of the interrogations, it isn't anyone else's job. You know as well as anyone else, I get at least one other's opinion on it," he may have been jaded, but he wasn't a complete jerk.

The group continued to walk until the Dyrad stopped. This was their location. "Groups of two, split off. Dyrad, with me," he walked with the woman. His sword was out and prepared to strike at any enemy that was present. He started observing every little detail, including a follower of Janis leaping from a tree at him. One step back and a swing, and the sorcerer was decapitated.

Eli blinked and continued walking as if he hadn't just killed someone. By now, he was completely numb to such a thing. "Do you recall any of the other prisoner's appearances?" He asked, a neutral tone.

---

The elf shifted to her white lioness form, pacing the room. She circled Kain a few times, inspecting him for any sign of him attacking. To her surprise, there was nothing. From his display earlier she assumed he was an mage or warlock, but that didn't shake her uneasy feeling.

"You're a fool if you think I follow orders from Aslan. Aslan is my father. I follow him at my own free will!" Her words were as cold as the very ice Jadis had power over. "Why should I believe that you would massacre an entire race because it was merely orders? Had you communicated with my kind you'd have found an entire army of elves on your side! You could have left Jadis right then and there, yet you didn't. That excuse is but a poor one!"

The ears of the lioness were back and her tail flicked in all different directions in annoyance. Very rarely did Eva let her emotions control her this way, but then again, very rarely did she come face to face with the man responsible for wiping her kind out of existence.
 
Oak listened carefully to Elijah, and merely sighed when he was finished. "Do as you wish sir," he said. "but don't break the poor thing."

"This is the place," the dryad finally announced. She turned to Elijah as he gave the orders and hesitantly stood next to him. She followed him through the area, and suddenly heard a yell. Rinnica screeched and ducked as Elijah slew the enemy. She looked up and saw part of the body, and immediately hid behind Elijah, clinging onto him.

"No... no, no, no," Rinnica almost sobbed into his back. "Sir...p-please," she stammered. "You know the place, now let me go. I'll tell you who I recognize fully, just let me go after that!"

---

"What could I have done?!" Kain growled. "At least your father is the kindest of the land! My so-called mother was the one that gave the orders to have the town burned! If you obey because Aslan is your father, then you know how strong a relationship like that can be. Imagine one built on constant beatings, lashings, jailings, even being tracked magically can feel like! You'd never know that because he actually raised you on love, and don't you dare tell me he didn't!"

Kain was not expecting to have poured his heart out to one of his previous victims. He could feel the pain in his chest as the guilty panic tried to overtake him. He felt the pressure in his eyes as they changed color to red again, and took in a sharp, deep breath. "So to answer your question," he said through his teeth. "It was a very complicated situation for me at the time."
 
Elijah looked down at the Dyrad curiously. "I didn't say anything about imprisoning you, what are you talking about?" The man looked down at the cowarding girl. He was stern, but he was far from cruel. "I am afraid I can not let you go. Firstly, you wouldn't make it alive back to your village. Secondly, Aslan has requested you aid. I'd rather you make this easier on us both and merely stay close until we are finished here."

Elijah distanced himself ever so slightly. He wasn't the biggest fan of people touching him. Especially strangers and in his blind spot. The man didn't slow his pace, he kept his senses alert and continued walking. "I will ask you again, do you recall any of the other prisoners?" This time his voice was more urgent.

All he wanted to know was who was an ally and who wasn't. Or at least by appearance so he didn't charge and slain an innocent being.

----

A loud roar erupted from Eva's mouth. One equal to that of Aslan. Lionesses had much louder cries than males, even if Aslan was more or less a god. That was the only reason their roars were similar in level. "You know nothing of my life! I was beaten all the same! Only when I was adopted by Aslan did my punishments stop!" The cat bore her teeth at the tiefling in all their glory.

"I suffered just as you haven, whether you believe it or not that is your choice!" The woman was sickly the majority of her life. Her blood parents insisted it was but an act to get away with sleeping away the days, but it was far from it. No matter how much she wanted to do better, it felt like her body was betraying her.

In her studies, she passed with remarkable scores, but it was never enough to satisfy her blood family. Perhaps in a sick and twisted way, she was freed from torture. Though it wasn't an easy pill to swallow considering it caused killed everyone but five elves. "You not the only one who has suffered, remember that now! It is no excuse! You should have been the better person and rise above it. Aslan would have protect you as he has hundreds of thousands! If nothing else, you would have had a swift death and ended your suffering!"
 
"I'm not talking about being back in prison!" Rinnica suddenly snapped. She then gestured to the dead body in front of them. "I'm talking about that! I mean I've wanted to be a medic before and use my potions for good but, now that I know how I feel about blood and gore I-- "

Rinnica couldn't seem to get the words out, so instead, she listened to Elijah. She let go of him when Elijah pulled away. Aslan... wanted her aid? Despite her fear, this felt like an honor and a privilege. Rinnica drew a shaky breath and bowed her head quickly. "Sir, you knew I was squeamish before even I knew. Lend me your strength, please," she quickly murmured, and then rose up to look at Elijah. She'd try to explain quickly, but it was through a fearful, stammering voice.

"There was a prisoner who was a faun, and there was a leopard. There were some horses being used for work against their will, and after that, I don't know who else was enslaved."

---

Kain froze at her roar, and it kept him quiet for the duration of Eva's speech. He had no idea that she had gone through what she did. Knowing that he only added to her sorrow, deep down, shattered his heart. What she said was true. He should have been the better person. Aslan probably would have protected him, and if death was the only way out...

A new wave of anger began to surge through Kain. This lioness, mare, elf, whatever thought it was so easy to choose right from wrong. Was she beaten within an inch of her life? Was she bound literally by magic to her parents as he was to Jadis? Did her parents do everything they could to break her both mentally and physically so that she could do their bidding? Turning slowly to the now lioness, Kain spoke.

"I'm not going to say that I am not at fault. You're right, I could have said no, but I didn't. Due to my own fear, I fought by Jadis until she died. Because she's gone her magic does not work on me anymore. Shapeshifter, you need to understand that I was in no position to even fight for myself, stand up for myself. I've been under her thumb since I was a child until a year ago. From 10 years old to now I've gone through things no child, no Narnian should ever have to go through.

"As a tiefling, I'm already paying for the mistakes of my ancestors. Now I'm paying for Jadis'. You had best not try to simplify a century of my life down to 'You could have just said 'no'."
 
"You'll get used to it," Elijah responded, perhaps too coldly. If the woman was going to be of any use to Aslan, she was likely to see plenty of dead or near dead bodies. That was the harsh reality of the situation.

"Please. I'm not my father, don't refer to me as sir. Elijah is just fine," Eli shook his head and kept walked. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the leopard. "Who goes there? Are you friend or foe to Aslan?!" His voice echoed through the forested area.

A leopard, cowarding much like Rinnica did, stepped forward. It didn't seem to speak the language he did. However, he tested something else. Something anyone from any language could understand. "Aslan?" The leopard seemed to cower less. "Jadis?" The leopard backed away and started to turn to bolt off.

"Halt!" The booming voice stopped the animal in its tracked and he knelt down to show a small crest before motioning for the creature to follow. Slowly, but surely, the leopard fell in line beside Elijah. "That's one down." He continued to walk now with the addition ally in tow.

In the near distance, the swordsman heard a familiar noise. The noise of bear grunts and growls. "This way. Quickly," Elijah started running after Oak and whoever partnered with him in hope that they weren't injured or outnumbered.

---

"I'm warning you now. If you think I'm harsh on you, you're in for a bad time when Elijah returns. All of us have suffered in one way or another. Some worse than others," Eva sat down instead of pacing. Her gaze still on the tiefling closely. "I am not here it belittle what you've gone through. I'm here to tell you that a good majority of us have suffered as you have, some of us just decided to do something about it."

Things were not black or white. They never were. There was a grey area that was hard to decide which side it belonged to. Situations that didn't fit the normal stigma. Cases such as this one. "You do realize that it isn't just me that you'll have to insist you have good intentions to, yes?" You have an entire army and then some to convince. The only person who will likely trust you without any doubt would be Aslan, but most of us do not have the strength to ignore our past. The betrayals."

For some, they views Aslan's thought that any person could repent was foolish. Otherwise found it admirable. Some were split between a side such as Eva.There wasn't a time that Aslan had failed her, but she wasn't able to welcome the man who destroyed her home, family, and friends with open arms. Eva's eyes told heavy tales. Ones of many struggles. "Are you prepared to prove your worth or will you give up? And if so, are you prepared for your life to end now?" The second option was merciful considering what she originally thought to put Kain through.
 
"Oh si--Elijah," Rinnica responded. "I wasn't talking to you, I was talking...to...Aslan." Rinnica's voice seemed to get quieter as her sentence progressed. She didn't want to bother Elijah any further; her praying to the Lion felt like something the warrior may have thought juvenile. Before she could say anything else, Elijah caught sight of the leopard. When he successfully got it to follow the two, Rinnica would bend down and gently massage its neck to comfort it.

The moment was short lived when Rinnica heard the sound of the bear along with Elijah. "Right behind you!" she replied as she took off running with Elijah and the leopard.

--

For those that were hard of trusting, they'd be in good company. Even when he tried to be good and do good he wasn't welcome in many places. It was the reason he got tangled up in Elren's clan. The only knowledge that brought Kain some solace was the fact that Aslan would listen. Still, deep down, and he made sure that his face wouldn't show it, he was afraid. He saw the Lion win the Battle of Beruna. He saw indeed how powerful he was, after being slain yet coming back to life.

Could he really forgive him?

Kain knelt in front of Eva, keeping his voice level and his face expression, and said, "How can I prove my worth if you don't give me the chance? I will do it."
 
Elijah decided it was best not to respond to Rinnica. There were more important matters to attend to, and he certainly wasn't about to make a comment about her praying to Aslan. The Lion had brought nothing but good things for him. He was there when Eli felt truly alone after his father's death. In fact, he too prayed to Aslan at times. Never out loud, but to himself.

When they arrived to the scene, Arthur was covering a wounded Oak. One who had three arrows in his back. Arthur seemed to be struggling as well to deflect the arrows being shot at him. His shield only protected so much as once.

Eli knew there wasn't time to lose. He charged forward while the archers were focused on Arthur, taking them by surprise. The archers were beasts he could not recognize. Perhaps a variation of small orcs. They put up little fight, but Eli did find an arrow jammed into foot by one of the orcs as a last act of desperation. The others were easily slain. A groan left Elijah's mouth as the sharp arrow pierced his boot and through half his foot. It didn't feel pleasant in the slightest. He jerked it out quickly, groaning once more before throwing it to the side. "Arthur, what is Oak's condition? Can he walk?"

---

Eva stared at the tiefling for a moment, as if looking through his very soul. Often times, Eva was the final judge in someone's worth when Elijah couldn't come to a decision. She had worked closely with Aslan for longer than most of the army had been alive. Though she wasn't royalty, she still was high up in the ranks. Just below that King and Queens in fact. She was there at the battle of Beruna. On the front line. She was there in the shadows at Aslan's death. She knew what happened behind the scenes.

"Very well. I hope you prove worth the risk," her gaze softened ever so slightly. Instead of keeping in her lioness form, she changed to her snow leopard one. This was her favorite aside from her elven state. A creature of beauty, but one who stayed to themself more often than not. "You will be monitored at all times, at least for the first while. That includes ever moment unless it is personal. Eating, sleeping, training, everything. The watch will lessen if we feel you have earned as such. I will be your personal watcher this time. It isn't normally something I do, but I feel it is only fitting considering our intertwined past."

Eva truly did want to give the man a chance, but at the same time, she also wasn't going to allow anyone else to take the blame if something were to go wrong. This was the decision she made and she made alone. To trust such a dangerous man.
 
When they arrived at the scene, Rinnica gasped to see Oak and Arthur. Oak groaned as he fought to stand, but ended up collapsing. He was breathing, but it was labored. Rinnica looked around to see what she could use. Leaves and flower petals with water made a good paste to use. It would not suffice long term but it could get Oak home.

Arthur turned to Elijah as he lowered his shield. "If you all had come a second too late, we'd both be done for."

"I'm.. ugh, I'm fine," Oak grunted. He tried to stand up, this time succeeding, but on shaky legs.

"Can we remove the arrows? If we can, I have an idea," Rinnica replied as she began picking off the leaves from a tree.

--

Kain merely stared back at Eva, letting the silence hang in the air. Eva changed into a snow leopard and Kain blinked. She was a pretty leopard. He had an appreciation for the animals of Narnia but it seemed unmatched to Eva's.

"I understand," Kain replied. He was not surprised that he'd be under a watchful eye? It's not like he hasn't been through it before. "Now if this is the arrangement we've come to," he began. "What will we do now?"
 
If it were a normal man, Elijah would have carried his injured comrade. However, an eight hundred pound bear was out of the question. Elijah walked close to Oak, examine the arrows. "Well, I suppose we'll find out if you're right about her rather quickly. Prepare yourself, this is going to hurt. Forgive me, Oak," he gave a warning before pulling each arrow out as quickly as he could to eliminate the pain from lingering more than it needed to.

After, Elijah took off his own boot to look down at his wound. It wasn't exactly pretty either and he could feel the blood from inside his shoe sloshing around.

The leopard seemed to walk over to the bear and started cleaning to the wounds by licking at them. A simple gesture, but a kind one.

"Whatever you have planned, tend to Oak first. If you have spares, it'd be appreciated for my foot as well," Elijah was annoyed. Moreso at himself than anything else. He wasn't the type to get injured often and it normally took him a while to get over his own personal failure.

---

"Well, asides from this rescue mission, my primary goal is to rescue the wildlife and animals within Narnia. Whether they are magical or not. As you know, the White Witch had a thing for turning animals to stone for her entertainment. It seems others have taken up the art now. Why? I can not say," Eva's tail flicked in annoyance. Reaching up, she used her paw to open the door. A silly gesture in a way.

"However, I'll show you where you'll be staying first," she walked out of the prison towards an area where there were small cabins of sorts. They were rather basic. They had necessities and that was about it. Though, for a free place to stay, they were nice. Much better than a prison cell too. She pushed open the door of one of the vacant ones and let Kain explore. "An upgrade might be in store, again, if you're deemed worthy."