New Beginnings

-15 years later

-There was a loud meow-

I slowly opened my eyes, to find a small furry animal perched on my stomach. I moved weakly, my arms trying to swat it away, still feeling tired and disoriented.

"Go away Sabre" I murmured, but of course, he didn't listen.

Instead, he jumped on me again, this time roaring cutely in my ear.

"Urgh,"

I finally gave up, sluggishly sitting upright as I yawned loudly, barely half-awake.

"What do you want, Sabre?"

The black and white tiger cub gave a triumphant meow, jumping off my bed and onto the floor. The little ball of trouble pointed, with his paw, to an empty bowl in front of him.

"You're hungry?"

He nodded eagerly, and I sighed tiredly but still got out of bed. Seeing me standing up, he jumped back onto my sheets. Then leapt off and landed on my shoulder. With Sabre in tow, I lazily walked out of my room. Stretching as I headed down a corridor and into the kitchen. In the far end corner of the room was a bucket full of salt. I stepped over to it and awkwardly reached inside, pulling out a raw fish. Sabre drooled hungrily as I wiggled the little fish in front of him. Wings shot out of his back, and he swooped in for the fish, snatching it from my hands.

"Sabre wait it's not even cooked yet" I shout chasing after him.

He held the fish in his mouth as he flew swerving and ducking my every attempt to catch him. The chase went on like this, even eventually extending into the living room.

"Remember how last time you got sick on my bed," I reminded him earnestly.

The vivid scene of mashed and chewed fish vomit piled on my bed played back in my mind. But Sabre refused to listen, even shaking his rear end at me provocatively. I finally lost my cool, frantically grabbing for him. And in the process, clumsily beginning to smash up the place. Knocking over oil lanterns, candles, decorations and in the end just when I thought I had cornered him. The slimy little cretin flew under my legs and escaped through the cabin window. Tired of running, I simply walked outside to face him, leaving through the front door. Much to my surprise. Sabre had finally dropped fish. Laying it in front of him.

I smile happily, thinking out loud "you little troublemaker".

Yet, Sabre didn't just leave the fish, he puffed up his chest then breathed fire onto it.

I stand shocked at the revelation that Sabre could now breathe fire. The fish quickly cooked, and he began to eat it enthusiastically. The cute picture of the small fluff ball snacking on fish softened me. The urge to pet his sweet little head overcame me.

-There was a sudden, painful moan from the side of me.

I fell back in fear. An injured body just lay there, face-first into the ground. Unthinking I just stared at it. Then another moan rang out, and I snapped from my trance.

"Who are you?" I asked still a bit away, cautious.

There was no reply from the body,

"Hello?" I say again.

He simply groaned out.

Not sure how to handle the current situation, I shouted for "Madam Mopta".

The old witch yawned from the cabin vociferously, her voice resonating throughout the forest. She then suddenly appeared beside the body. She held no guards towards it, directly touching him and flipping him over. It revealed the face of a young man, who looked only a few years older me. His skin had a purple hue, looking spotless, gleaming; even when covered in dirt and dried blood. His hair long, glossy and black, stretched out to his shoulders. However, his most remarkable feature was his pointed ears, sharp at the ends. I looked in wonder as I had never laid eyes on such a creature before.

"He's an elf" Madam Mopta explained harshly as if reading my mind.

I had heard stories of their kind from Bertolt, imagined the many ways they could look, but none were ever purple. I looked over Madam Mopta's shoulder as she examined him.

"What happened to him?" I asked her.

"Hmph, he seems to have been in a fight. There sword or dagger wounds on his back and torso" she answered.

Before placing her hands on his body. Blue energy began to formulate around the sides. It slowly sipped into him and began closing up his wounds.

"I've stabled his condition, but you'll have to take him to Richard to be sure he'll make a full recovery. I'm not having some elven riff-raff staying at my cabin, it is not an inn." she vented out before disappearing as quickly as she appeared.

Then yelled out from the cabin once again,

"Bertolt should be nearly done collecting wood I told him to, ask him to carry you there".

Then as if on cue, the ground began to shake as loud footsteps were coming, nearer and nearer. A giant 15-meter figure soon loomed over the cabin. Carrying massive logs of chopped wood under his left arm and in his right, across his shoulder a metal axe.

"I've got your firewood Madam Mopta," he said, his voice bellowing.

"Good, just set it beside the cabin."

He nodded and directly dropped the large pieces of chopped wood. As he was about to turn and leave, I shout to him.

"Hey Bertolt, could you bring us with you to the village, my friend here needs to see Richard".

Bertolt, the red-haired giant, turned back unsure where the voice came from. His eyes darting until finally saw me waving on the ground. He smiled and reached out his palm, placing it on the ground for us to walk on.

"Sure thing," he agreed.

I turned to the unconscious elf on the floor, then resolutely dragged him onto Bertolt's hand. He wasn't that heavy, I could have quite leisurely lifted him, but I didn't want to stain my nightgown with his blood. I sat beside him, and Bertolt raised us to his shoulder. Almost forgetting Sabre, I hurriedly whistled for him as Bertolt placed us on his shoulder. Sabre quickly finished up his fish, shot out his wings and flew up to us, landing in my arms. I snuggled him tightly as the wind brushed past against my face, making my hair flow back.

I'd known Bertolt for a long time, the round chubby giant was the last son of the giant chief. Once his father had brought him along when he had business with Madam Mopta. We were both kids at the same age and quickly bonded. Ever since he'd always come to play with me. Mopta rarely let me leave the cabin by myself, and in a position where I couldn't make many friends, he was my first real friend. The oafish giant always told me stories of action and adventure. Tales of the world outside the forest, of monsters, great battles and brave heroes. I always marvelled at such stories, they were my only escape from my boring life in the cabin. To be able to seek out adventure, how good would that be?

Suddenly Bertolt started whistling loudly as he walked with a jig in his step.

"Haha, Bertolt what are you doing?" I quizzed.

"It's a new song Bernard wrote, he was singing it this morning. And now I can't stop singing it," he explained before continuing to hum.

"Is he going to sing it over your clan's storytime as well?"

"Yep and I'm looking really forward to the storytime today."

"What's happening?" I asked, intrigued.

"My third brother is finally coming home again" Bertolt beamed happily.

"Reiners?"

"Yes, so he'll be telling the stories about his adventures."

"I can't wait" I also expressed happiness.

"He's been gone too long, so I'm just happy to finally have him back," the oversized glutton said solemnly.

"Hopefully he's brought food from the outside like last time," I say expectation filling my stomach.

"I almost forget about that, all the glazed meat he'll bring, " Bertolt said with a gleam in his eye and his tongue drooped out. Drool dripping from the side of his mouth as he imagined all the delicacies he would get to eat. Sabre and I followed suit, our own eyes twinkling brightly.

Meanwhile-

Nine figures on mounts had passed the marshy plains of the Etherland. After trekking for miles, they had finally stopped on the outskirts of an endless forest. There was so much more green then they were used to. None had ever journeyed this far from the Union States. Travelling through the unforgiving Badlands was one thing, but many fear the forest in the Etherlands more. Not much was known about it, except rumours. Only the humans, having a pact with some creatures within could so easily enter and leave. If having the option, these figures would instead steer clear of such unfamiliar territory.

Just being mounted outside of the forest was daunting, it was the first time they had seen such large trees. Many towered into the skies. A foggy mist seemed to act as a barrier to the forest, preventing their sight from penetrating too deep. A single figure, the leader, rode forward on his mount. A fearsome wolf-like beast with teeth like sharpened razor blades and claws like piercing daggers. Chained to its neck was a brown, small child-like creature, nearly unconscious and looking badly beaten. The leader abruptly stopped his mount. He was a dark green humanoid creature, his skin patched and leathery; his teeth black and pointed with a rosary long tongue hidden inside. He wore light metal armour with many gaps so he could move his joints freely. It was far from pristine, stained with dirt and dark red splatters of dried liquid. He stepped off his wolf-beast, behind it pulled along by the rope, a horse. Weapons and supplies were attached to each side of the horse as well as two large spears. The leader unchained the small creature tied to his wolf's neck and threw him to the ground.

"Half-bred," the leader growled his voice grittily and rough, "where are they?"

The small creature squeaked crawling away backward as the leader approached it.

"I've told you everything I know, we were meant to meet here, please don't kill me." the little creature pleaded.

"Haha, " the leader laughed cruelly, "then this is where your usefulness ends."

The leader drew his sword, the blade's edge was jagged and hooked. The creature looked at it, already imagining his tortured death, his heart pulsating endlessly.

"Wait, please, you gave me your word you wouldn't kill me. You said you'd let me go, " he squelched.

The leader suddenly stopped then smiled devilishly as if dawning on something.

"HAHAHA," he guffawed with malicious intent. "Your right, I did give you my word and what are we hobgoblins if not men of our word."

The other eight hobgoblins snickered and sneered, agreeing sarcastically. The little goblin creature lept with joy, not even sparing a moment, ran with everything it had into the forest not looking back. The leader untied his horse from the wolf-beast then grabbed at the creature's reins writhing it up. It howled eagerly, wanting to just burst away at the scene.

"Kill him, " and then he let go.

The beast charged forward, in the direction of the goblin. The leader turned to the other hobgoblins, and they all cheered him on with grunts and snorts. All but one, he had noticed something and got off his horse.

"Urk" he called to the leader, the hobgoblin one of the leader's lieutenants.

"I've got good news," he said grinning with his black teeth and grey lips.

"What is it?" Urk questioned looking to him.

The lieutenant pointed with his dark, claw-like nails, to a blood trail leading into the forest.

"Seems like the little thieves turned on each other," he chuckled.

Urk came over, taking off his helmet and dipped his finger in the blood, sniffing it first then licking it off. Fury garnered in his eyes and his hand glossed over a bandaged wound on the left side of his head, where his left ear had been.

"It's elf blood," he said, each word holding unceasing amounts of anger. He roared into the sky, his voice filled with bloodlust.

"Grit and Grin" he called to his lieutenants. "Looks like we're finally going to get to have fun."

The lieutenants nodded enthusiastically. Grit got back on his horse, and the Urk did the same. There was suddenly a loud scream then growl from the forest. Soon after Urk's wolf beast came back, tattered clothing in its teeth. Urk clicked towards it and pointed to the blood trail. The wolf sniffed it, reading the scent then dashed off into the forest. Urk and the rest of the hobgoblins followed behind.