Chapter Three

His body felt like it was on fire, aching with a sickening nausea all over it. On top of that, an exhaustion as though he hadn't slept for months. He lay there in utter confusion as to where he was and listened. There were people and a lot of them. None of them sounded happy. Anguished cries, wailing, screaming, painful groans, and shouting from what he could only figure were soldiers and doctors. He could tell he was outside on a cot and covered up with a blanket but where?

Prying his eyes open, he found he was in a tent. It was a small canvas one that was big enough to stand in but only enough space for two sleeping cots. This one had no windows. His was the only cot in the tent.

What happened? How long was he out? What did the doctor give him? Virgil wondered as he pulled the strength to get up. The nausea began to clear as he worked to get up, but he felt strange.

Sitting up he could hear familiar voices and knew Chris had come back. That gave him relief to know that his brother was taking care of whatever was going on. From the sounds of it, a shadow elf had gotten in and poisoned several people. It made no sense to Virgil as he got up and, ignoring his symptoms, pushed opened the flap of the tent and stepped out. As he stepped out, two guards standing by the doorway were startled by the sight of him. Virgil looked at them confused by their expressions and quickly ducked, nearly getting a sword blade to the face. He staggered back as a paladin warrior took a swing at him once more. A terrifying fierce scowl upon his face.

Horribly confused, Virgil threw his arms up as he dodged each attack, yelling and backing up, "Wait! Stop! What are you doing?"

The paladin swung again, and Virgil ducked, sweeping a leg around, knocking his opponent off his feet. Another one took his place, and Virgil jumped up as he backed out of the large sword swinging at him, crying out for them to stop. This was a nightmare!

Why were they attacking him? Virgil didn't get a chance to talk or recover from his confusion and kept trying to keep from getting hit. Even his sword had disappeared. Getting a chance, he ran around a tent and nearly into Chris. Virgil's mind raced, and the only thing he thought to do was rush Chris, pulling his sword from the sheath. Virgil quickly swung around and connected with a sword.

Metal against metal as the swords screamed with each hit. He was doing pretty good at fighting back and even forgot about Chris standing behind him with disbelief. Big mistake on Virgil's part. Chris kicked a leg out from Virgil. He fell to the ground, and Chris kicked the sword from his hands with his armored boots. Thwack! In pain, Virgil rolled out of his way, holding his wounded hand, and crouched fearfully. He watched as his teacher picked up his blade. Virgil knew he was no match for his teacher. He didn't want to fight him. Even if this was a nightmare.

Chris twirled the long heavy blade with ease and was looking at Virgil, as though trying to figure him out.

Not wanting to fight him, Virgil slowly stood up with his hands out, saying sorrowfully, "Chris, wait. I don't want to fight you. Please, I don't understand. I—"

Chris had stopped and was staring at him, confused as to why he would know him. By now, mystic paladins had shown up and stood at the ready. Virgil hadn't noticed them. He was staring horrified at his hands. They were a pale slate blue with a slight brownish hue. Longer fingers with clawlike nails that looked sharp and menacing. Strangely the pain was gone too.

In shock he gasped, turning his hands and moving his fingers. Fearfully, Virgil touched his face. It had changed as well. Angled and sharp featured. Moving his hands upward, he kept denying it over and over, but when he reached his ears, there was no denying it. They were the ears of a shadow elf. Refusing to believe it, he swung around; and finding an opening, he bolted, looking for anything shiny. All the while the paladins chased after him, thinking he was going to do more damage. People scattered in horror. Screams came from everywhere, and Virgil believed he was dreaming.

This was all a dream, and he had to wake up. Finding a tray someone had dropped as they ran from him, he stopped abruptly; paladins nearly slammed into him. They scattered as they prepared for the attack from him. Instead, Virgil picked up the tray and stared in shock at the face that stared back. His hair was still the same color just longer. His face was angled with the sharp features of an elf. His eyes had turned completely milky white, and when he turned up his lips in disgust, his teeth were jagged and fanged. Touching them he couldn't believe what he felt. Virgil turned his head to the side and cringed at seeing the long pointy ears. He always wanted pointy ears but not like this!

The terrible realization hitting him, Virgil's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto his knees as he stared at the tray. A forlorn expression upon his face as he kept inspecting himself. As though it would all fade away from him staring long enough, murmuring over and over again,

"This isn't real. This isn't real."

The paladins stared at him, unsure what to do. This shadow elf was acting so strangely. They waited for the senior paladin to give them the order to kill this monster. Chris walked cautiously up to the shadow elf. This wasn't what a normal shadow elf would do. For one, this shadow elf was able to hold his sword. It was enchanted by the elders of the mystics. All paladin swords were. No dark creature could pick up a paladin's sword without getting a nasty shock of their life.

Virgil looked up at Chris and said pleadingly, "Brother? Please it's me! I don't know what happened, but please I don't want to fight you. I... I refuse to."

This was unheard-of as well. A shadow elf that didn't want to fight? They loved to fight.

Chris answered by questioning, "Who are you? Tell me what your name is?"

"It's me," Virgil answered painfully, wanting to just wake up from this terrible dream. "Virgil. It's Virgil. Please, brother, believe me?"

Chris cautiously crouched in disbelief as he watched him, but it had to be true. This couldn't be a shadow elf.

Chris asked as he watched for any tricks, "What's the last thing you remember?"

Virgil couldn't think. Horrified by what he saw and in distress, he dropped the tray and began to stare at his hands once more in horror.Chris repeated his question, "Hey! What do you remember last?"

"I, the last thing I remember was Doctor Dandle giving me a vial of medicine to take," Virgil answered and gasped. "Poison! He...he poisoned me. Us! Liz. Poor Liz. Everyone." He looked up at Chris in anguish, asking, "Where are they? Are they okay? Did you? Were they?"

Virgil couldn't find a way to finish. Thinking about it made his stomach hurt. Chris softened his gaze and pushed passed what he believed. Instead of a scowl, a painful controlled expression as he told him, "Get up, Virgil. I need you to come back to the tent. We'll figure

out what happened."

Virgil didn't argue and stood up slowly, so as not to upset anyone else, and followed Chris to the tent. The paladins were looking on in utter shock and disbelief.

Once inside, Virgil sat down on the cot and stared miserably at his hands, watching them as he moved them. Chris told him to stay there and left to speak with the paladin team.

It didn't take them long or that is what it seemed like as Virgil listened. His hearing had gotten very keen. They were arguing about believing who he claimed to be. Chris made good points. For one, Virgil's eyes weren't a solid red. His hair wasn't white like a shadow elf's, and the biggest one of those things, besides pulling Chris's sword, was Virgil wasn't acting like an animal. By now he would have been tearing up the tent city and attempting to escape to report back to the rest of the shadow elves that had to be nearby. The strangest thing was that the poison hadn't killed him.

The tent flaps opened, and a mystic paladin came in with her hood on, glaring suspiciously at him. You could tell the difference between the two paladins. Mystic paladins worn long capes with hoods that were gray with a wide blue trim. Wearing light armor, chain mail, and a belt with their necessities of their trade. Healers, magic fighters, or doctor. Paladin warriors didn't. They wore more of a heavier armor set, usually without the cape. It wasn't standard like it usually was with the mystics.

Virgil was too busy wondering when he would wake up to notice her. When she stepped closer, he looked up nervously as his breath caught in his throat. To release it, he breathed out, "Rosey?" and looked down in anguish, seeing his own sister looking at him as though she didn't recognize him.

Rosey blinked surprised, and before she could make a comment, Chris came in, squeezed passed her, and crouched down by Virgil, saying, "Your execution is on hold. It depends on how you answer my questions as to how long you live."

Virgil swallowed hard and nodded as he stared downward. Chris continued, "The only reason why you aren't dead now is I believe that you aren't what we are seeing right now. You somehow look like a shadow elf, but you can't be."

He thought for a moment and asked, "Do you remember what I gave you for your twelfth birthday?"

If this were a shadow elf trick, he wouldn't be able to tell him. Chris still had his doubts. Anyone, including shadow elves, could know his name or Virgil's.

Virgil looked at Chris and confusingly answered, "A pack. A traveler's pack."

He looked down in sorrow, remembering, "I was so excited to see it. I knew the moment I saw it, that you got approval from the council. So that I could start my training."

Chris smiled softly and questioned wistfully, "Do you remember the cake?"

Virgil smirked sadly, saying softly in memory, "Yeah...it tasted like angel food...strawberries, it had those strange fruit on it that grew at the edge of the Silvestre vineyard in Ardouin, nearby Rosato... I used to visit... Avelina and Dimitri would pick them sometimes... The fruit was so good with the cake Amber made...white with strawberries..."

He trailed off in anguish. Chris nodded and stood up, believing this was Virgil. Now he needed to show the others. Changing his expression to stern, he said with a strict tone, "I'll need you to pull my sword once more to show them that you aren't what they think you are. Get up."

Virgil stood up as instructed, and Chris gestured to leave the tent. Rosey went through first and watched Virgil come out followed by Chris. Paladins and soldiers stood ready to attack him. Virgil kept his head down. He recognized many faces, and it was painful to look at them as they stared at him as though a stranger.

Chris faced him with his sword sheathed and offered it for him to pull it out. Terrified that it wouldn't work again, Virgil shaken, reached for the hilt, and quickly pulled his hand away fearfully. He didn't want to go through this, and if it will not work, his family would kill him.

With a steady tone, Chris spoke, "Pull the sword out."

Steeling himself, Virgil reached out and, gripping the sword's grip, pulled it out and held it nervously. Gasps and whispers wandered through the crowd. Virgil looked around. The paladins didn't look impressed and stood waiting for Virgil to use the sword. Chris stood impressed with a relaxed smile.

An uncomfortable feeling began to well up in Virgil, and he kneeled with the sword flat in his hands as he offered it back to Chris.

But before Chris could take it, the sword zapped Virgil, and he dropped it. He held his sides in frustration as he waited for the pain to subside.

Suddenly Chris was by his side telling the paladins to stand down. He believed Virgil wasn't a threat or what they saw. Chris picked up his sword and helped Virgil to his feet, escorting him back to the tent to figure out what happened and to explain what happened while Virgil was out. Instead of the small one, Chris brought him to where the paladins where camping and brought him into a larger tent, sitting him on a cot there.

Chris explained that as he was coming back, he noticed that people were attempting to make it to St. Joseph's. Some had dropped dead where they were. Fearful of what was going on, Chris raced to the outpost. That's when he found most everyone dead or in agonizing

pain and more from the surrounding areas coming in. People from the large town and villages were pulling in with carts full of dying people. He had someone contact the paladins and helped set up places for people to stay. Doctor Dandle and many nurses had disappeared, and a shadow elf was in the building with Virgil nowhere to be found.

Chris hoped Virgil was chasing down the missing doctors. No one knew where the shadow elf came from.

Now it was confirmed. Doctor Dandle was a shadow elf follower. Along with several nurses and doctors. Virgil asked where Liz was, and Chris said she was fine. When Virgil collapsed in pain and patients started screaming in agony, she ran to look for anyone that hadn't taken

the medicine and stopped them. Most of the soldiers and some of the staff, such as the kitchen staff. That was it. Strangely they couldn't find Sergeant Darros but later on found his body outside of the east gate in the bushes. With the pieces coming together, it seemed that Sergeant Darros had chased after the doctor and his group and was killed as they headed toward town. That still left a lot of questions unanswered.

How was Dandle able to sneak in? How did the poison get in, and why did its effects change Virgil? The mystic paladins could help with the change part.

Varran came in after tirelessly working through the night with her team. Mystic paladins could help with the poison, but it took time. People slipping through their fingers. With light brown hair, she was the second eldest of the siblings. She was the strongest healer, doctor, and had a fascination with anatomy. All kinds. Virgil always told her she was a pervert. He had a taunting nickname for all his elder siblings but Chris. It irked Varran to be called pervert by him. Even though she had a slightly perverted personality. Virgil was just being honest and called it as he saw it. Rosey had to stop Varran from dissecting Virgil, and Chris told them to stop bickering. Now wasn't the time.

Calming her thoughts, Varran had Virgil lay down. Once he did, she spoke her words and moved as she hovered, standing as she moved her hands over him. From head to toe, she paced. When she stopped, she looked utterly baffled. Before her was a healthy young shadow elf male. She studied him more closely, casting a variety of

spells and speaking a variety of words, as the others waited for her to finish. She delved deep. Searching deep into genetic coding, and once done, Varran gave them what she found.He'd been altered and wasn't done being altered. Whatever the poison had done to him had affected him on a cellular level. Virgil was nearly a shadow elf. She figured that once this poison finished its course, he would be a fully grown shadow elf. Including the same bad attitude. Virgil looked pale, asking, "And my memory? I will remember you guys? Liz?"

Varran looked at him grimly, saying, "This will alter everything. Including memories. You'll be one of them, and there will be no alternative."

Rosey stepped back in with Liz and heard the last part. She asked, "Is there anything we can do?"

Varran exhaled with exhaustion and replied, "I don't know. We have some time. Let me sleep on it, and I will look for the answers."

She smiled kindly at Virgil who was looking at the floor. Seeing Liz brought so many emotions all at once.

Varran asked, "Rose dear, what I do need is for you to get a blood sample from him and someone to study it. Maybe we can find a clue to this poison. Having a live subject to work with will help us greatly."

Rosey left to get the medical instruments she needed, leaving Liz.

Liz couldn't believe her eyes. Virgil was a shadow elf, but it didn't matter. Walking up to him sorrowfully, Virgil glanced at her, saying, "Hey. I guess we won't be able to go on that walk around the perimeter."

She smiled, knowing it was him, and sat on the cot beside him. It surprised him, and he blushed. He didn't know why he did it and tried to find something to say to her. Nothing good came to mind, and he sorrowfully looked down. Liz could see he was having trouble with

things and, without thinking about it, placed her hand upon his. He stared down in shock, and being daring, he shifted his hand to hold hers. She didn't shy away either, which made his heart soar. Along with the anguish.

As an honest person and not knowing how long he had to live, he admitted to her, "You know, Liz, I've always had a crush on you. I am sorry it took this to be honest with you."

Liz was surprised by his honesty and asked humorously, "What about Shelly? She said you two were dating."

Chris made no comment and let them have their conversation in private, moving to one of the adjacent rooms of the large canvas tent but stayed close.

Virgil snorted and admitted, "I only dated her to get you jealous. It...it didn't work out."

Liz smiled mindfully at him with sorrowful eyes, saying, "Virgil, I had feelings for you the moment I saw you too. I... I didn't think I could have expressed that because you were a paladin, and to be honest too, I never liked that macho bravado. Just you and your kindness toward others."

Virgil looked up happily surprised, saying, "Really?"

Liz nodded and replied, "Yes. I like you for you and not when you were trying to be charming. That's not you. I'm sorry this has happened to you."

Virgil smiled and said, "Yeah. Well, I believe they'll figure something out. Thank you, Liz. For, well, being here and not scared of me."

The pain in his chest increased, but he refused to let the tears out. All of a sudden, Liz leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "It's going to be okay, Virgil. I will stay by your side as long as I can. Okay?"

Virgil gave her a dazed enamored look, and she chuckled softly, blushing. He squeezed her hand as he realized she looked exhausted from all the stress and said, "Are you going to be okay?"

She nodded and bravely he swung an arm around her, pulling her over to him in a comforting hug. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this. He was so close to Liz. She smelled wonderful and was so warm. His face flushed as she relaxed in his embrace and leaned her head on him.

Forgetting his troubles, Virgil didn't want this feeling to end, but unfortunately, it had to. Chris wandered back out and cleared his throat, stating politely, "Virgil, you need to rest now. Rosey will make sure she is safe."

Virgil was confused about the last part. Why did Liz need protection?

Getting up, Liz moved herself out of Virgil's embrace and said, "I will see you later, okay?"

Virgil nodded, saying, "See you later."

He didn't watch her leave or see Rosey in the doorway. He looked back at his hands and grimaced. Chris came over with a blanket and offered it to him. Virgil thanked him and covered up, lying down.

Closing his eyes, he was hopeful that Varran would find a way to help.