Eion

Screams echoed around Eion as he ran. It was just like ten years before. When he was just four and they had come. Killing everyone and everything. The dreaded elves.

Turning a corner he saw one of the priests. They were wearing the same plain robes he wore now. Even plainer as they lacked the patches sown in to fix the many holes. Or to serve as extra pockets. They also wore the same blank white ceramic mask that covered their face completely. Still, he could tell by their fighting stance it was Athair. They saw Eion and waved them away. Silently telling them to flee in the other direction. Before Eion could let them know that there were more enemies attacking from that way. An elf rushed Athair from a side passage.

They were slender and tall, wearing a set of scale mail the color of fall leaves. Their helmet had a long section of fiery-colored horse hair jutting from the top like a banner in the wind. In both hands were slender and curved blades. Athair turned to meet them, unarmed and unarmored. Both the blades danced in a mesmerizing display of flashing torchlight on polished elvish steel.

Athair's robes fluttered as they seemed to pass unharmed through the sudden barrage of slashes. Both the old priest's hands became a blur and the elf went flying backwards to crash into the monastery wall. More shouts came and more elves rushed towards Athair who stood calmly blocking their path. Eion wanted to go help. To help the old librarian who bored him with lectures. But the wild fear he felt at seeing the elf was too much. It was like he was four again. Running away as his parent shrill screams chased him, just as the elves did that day.

He couldn't even remember his mother or father's face anymore. But he remembered the pale face with those cold white eyes, the face of the elf that had caught him. Or the image of his tiny fist slapping into the silvery scale mail it wore as it dragged him away. Clutched tightly against that armored chest. If only he could remember how he had escaped… maybe now he could get away again in the same manner.

Eion rushed down another hallway, more shouts and cries filling the normally silent halls. To think today had started out so good. It had been market day. The best day of the month because he was allowed to accompany one of the priests down to the small town below their monastery. To buy a few necessary things the monastery wasn't able to produce itself. Mostly food stuff that they just lacked the space to grow. As boring as it might sound trudging down a mountain to carry baskets of produce. Compared to days of meditation, reading, and training. It was a wild adventure.

Mostly he loved the people of the market. He would watch the locals haggling with merchants. They seemed so.. alive and intense as they worked their verbal duel for the best price. Growing up surrounded by monks who only spoke the bare minimum. It was the stuff of legends. Eion always wanted to haggle on behalf of the monks but none would ever let him. They just paid the asked-for price and took the goods.

It was the same today as always. Only this time as they were leaving a villager rushed up to them. Begging for help. Their father had been injured when a cart had toppled over. Eion was beside himself with excitement, not because someone was hurt of course. But because he might get to help, anything other than the normal routine was a cause for excitement. Alas, the priest with him ordered him to head back to the monastery while he went to treat the man. Eion wanted to complain, to argue he could help. But before he could he felt the pressure coming off the priest. A weight that settled over him and before he knew it, Eion was walking away. Back towards the path to the monastery.

A cart went by him and he spun away as if avoiding it. The cart hadn't even been close but pretending it had almost hit him. That his great reflexes were all that saved him… was at least more entertaining than just walking. An apple in the fully loaded basket in his arms topped out. He balanced on one foot and allowed it to land on the top of his other raised foot. He stood there for a moment before kicking it up, the apple flying up to land on his basket. Only the movement caused two apples to fall. He repeated the action but was only able to catch one. This time he flicked it up without losing any more. He was just turning to find where his apple rolled when an angelic voice spoke to him.

"You dropped this." He turned and looked into the most sparkling and lovely green eyes he had ever seen. She was the same height as him which was unusual as even girls his age were taller than his short five foot one. Little freckles speckled over her pale cheeks and small upturned nose. She held out the apple and then set it gently on top of the basket he hugged to his chest.

"Are you a princess?" Eion blurted out and the girl froze.

"Why would you say that?" She asked, her voice clear and lovely.

"Your cloak is very nice. Only a princess would have something like that." Eion answered instantly.

"Really?" She looked at the plain unadorned cloak with a cowl pulled up to hide all but her face. She was certain it was the most ordinary cloak she had ever seen, completely unremarkable. "It is just a plain cloak?"

"The fabric is far too fine. The stitching is very good too. No one around here owns anything so nice." He tried to motion to his own rough woven robes, the cloth far rougher even without the patches. But had to stop when he almost lost his apples.

"I see." Was all the girl said. "Do you live at the monastery on the mountain?"

Eion nodded rapidly. "Yes." He paused. "It is really boring though. All they do is read old books and meditate all the time."

Eion couldn't believe his luck. He was having a conversation. A real one. With a beautiful princess nonetheless.

"I heard they have a special guest they keep there? A half-elf child?" Her question broke his daydream.

"A half-elf? There are no elves allowed in the monastery." Eion said quickly, a bit too quickly as he stumbled over his words.

"I see. Then perhaps I heard wrong." She smiled and it was like the sun peeking from behind dark clouds. Eion nearly dropped his basket of apples. "Well, I must be off. It was nice meeting you." Before he could respond the girl turned and seemed to vanish as another cart passed by.

That had been the highlight of not only his day, month, and year, but probably Eion's life. And now there were elves attacking the monastery. He turned and rushed down another hall. Not much farther, he thought. Soon he would make it to the hidden tunnel that led down to the mines below the monastery.

Elves emerged from the path ahead of him and he skidded into a slide. His sandals had no traction against the well-worn stone floor. Still, he was quick to hop up turning to rush towards a different hallway. His robe's hood flew back before he could catch it. The elves shouted.

"I found him! I FOUND THE HALF-ELF! EVERYONE TO US." Eion hastily pulled the hood of his robe back up. 'Stupid ears!' He mentally admonished.

Suddenly, there were elves in their shiny armor coming from every direction. Again and again, he had to change direction. Adjusting his course trying to get to one of the mine tunnels. Skidding to a stop he found himself in one of the intersection rooms. Each doorway was blocked by armed elves. Turning around he found more elves now blocking the path he had just come from.

From one of the doorways, the elves parted and a new elf entered. This one had the dyed horse hair plume coming from their helmet replaced by what looked to be living flame. It draped down from the top of the helmet in a way no fire should act.

"There is no need to run. We are only here to take you home." Within their open-faced helmet, Eion could see a friendly smile. He knew it was a lie. Elves always lied. Elves were cruel killers. Elves… were his enemy. Eion did the only thing he could think and took a fighting stance. There was the sound of armor shifting as weapons were pointed toward him.

"Stand down." The flame-plumed elf snapped, his tone commanding. All the other elves and there were now more, relaxed. "We do not wish to hurt you. Our orders in fact state we must bring you unharmed." He was still smiling but his sea-blue eyes were hard.

When he rushed. Eion dodged. His fist snapped out in a quick flurry of blows before he kicked him in the side. The elf stumbled and glared at the masked boy. But was otherwise unhurt. His scale mail shimmered with prismatic ripples that rolled away from each spot Eion had struck.

"Boy. You are millennia too young to face me. Come quietly. The longer we stay here the more of these priests that must die. You care for them do you not?" The elf was smiling again, but their tone was harsh.

Eion looked around, his face hidden beneath the solid white mask. He was trembling. There were elves everywhere. Screams still echoed down the hallways as more priests died. They were here. They were going to kill everyone important to him and then take him away. Just like last time. The bronze-colored face with the sea-blue eyes overlapped with the pale white-eyed face of his memories. Eion felt his breath coming in short sharp gasps as he started to hyperventilate. The elf seeing him no longer moving and his stance shattered, started to approach.

He was just within arms reach when the masked boy moved, a dark blur. Still, he had expected as much and the veteran elf captain jumped just out of reach. He started to laugh and again issue his ultimatum. But instead of a laugh came a gurgling sound. Rancid-tasting blood bubbled from his lips and he looked down. His scale mail was unhurt but a nasty black liquid oozed from beneath the metal scales. He coughed up more of that liquid realizing it was his own flesh and blood rotting with necrotic energy. Looking back up he watched as that plain white mask changed. As if seething darkness corrupted it. From the chin up it darkened. Then a line of sickly green light formed a wide grinning mouth before two more opened up to form eyes.

"Useless." A deep voice hissed from the masked boy. "Always running away to cry like a baby. Leaving me to do everything." Suddenly they lunged forward. Their arm drawn back to strike was covered in that same seething darkness. Forming a large clawed hand that extended over Eion's actual hand and arm.