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Chapter Text

Every other elf in the Realm was fast asleep as the twilight neared in the quiet capital Arid. All elves were resting but one: Boltanas. The elven King was at war with himself in these quiet moments. Floorboards creaked and echoed under his heavy step as he reread the letter for the tenth time that day.

“ Unto His Majesty, King of Atrium.

Official Torvald Oweyn of Runic lore sends his warmest greetings.

Your Majesty, I am writing this letter to bestow upon You the wondrous uses of runic energy. Sharing the new form of technology that can be made out of these runes will be of utmost importance if I get the chance to return to the homeland. Ska’drin, however, is not a land for the faint of heart for there is danger looming every nook, every corner. I write with a heavy heart these lines as I remain aware of the threat lingering over this cursed land. Your Majesty must stand guard for I am afraid the enemy will strike our homeland soon. I have the honor to remain Your Majesty’s most humble and obedient servant,

Your faithfully, Torvald Oweyn.”

Word traveled fast in the Realm. The majestic king was aware of the hushed whispers about a war to come. He sent spies far west, in the land of Ozmendar, to keep a close eye on the goblins. He feared the worst when his men failed to return on the day scheduled. If what Torvald was saying was true, the hordes must have captured the elven spies by now and were preparing an attack against Atrium.

“Guards.” A mere whisper was enough to be heard from the King. In the next second, two tall and lean soldiers bowed before Boltanas.

“Fetch for every member of my Council at once. There are important matters to be discussed, none shall be missing this meeting.” His tone was firm and decisive as he spoke despite how his hand was shaking, gripped around the letter. He only hoped there was time left to make a change.

Silence lingered around the table. Not a soul dared breathe a word for they were all processing this new information. Some felt indifference towards the situation – goblins were hardly a threat. Not something the Elven Army won’t be able to defeat. Some were worried – a war planned without any warning beforehand was unheard of. Not even the goblins, backwards and barbaric as they might be, wouldn’t stoop so low. And some were terrified – what could the goblins possibly wish to acquire by attacking the elves? What could they desire out of their land?

Valera, general of the Elven Army was the only one not showing any sign of emotion whatsoever. Her eyes remained cold and calculating, deep in thought.

“I must dare and continue, our skilled spies did not return to this day. I am afraid the enemy has already captured them – or worse.” That left the councilors shocked. It was unheard of an elf to be taken captive. They were simply too agile and careful in their actions to be observed.

“Your Majesty, ever since the elves walked upon this land, there have never been…” the council member trailed off. He couldn’t seem to finish the sentence properly. Tension lingered heavily in the room.

“The situation might be…far more complex than I first thought of it. I expect the armies to be prepared and ready at once, General Sagard of the East.” The King fixed the general with a calculating gaze. Sagard gave a bow of head in sign of respect and acknowledgement.

“General Valera of the Elven Army, the task I am about to give you is of utmost importance. You are to form an order of powerful warriros, ready to offer support and guidance to our Army shall they come of need. I am fearful the enemy will not stand alone and we must prepare for what is worst.”

Chapter Text

Valera gripped the reins tighter as she quietly waited near the Frozen Guard. Usually, she welcomed the extra weight of her armor but right now it only felt like it was suffocating her. The Prowler she was riding on was growing restless, unused to the cold weather of this land. The elf did not trust to address such matters in a letter and carefully decided to meet with her long trusted friend, Mage Karne.

She came to a stop when she noticed a silhouette in the distance. With a fond smile, she approached the man waiting patiently. Valera unmounted the Prowler and approached Karne with an open heart. He looked just like she remembered him, albeit a bit older. His skin wrinkled around his eyes and his posture was not as straight as it once has been. The mage offered her a small smile but it was enough to make his features seem younger.

“Greetings, my friend. It has been far too long.” She opened her arms in a welcoming gesture.

“General Valera, it is an honor to see you again.” He bowed his head in respect and grasped her hand in a gentle hold, bringing her knuckles to his lips, placing a tender kiss.

They both started laughing at the same time, this silly courtesy act of greeting was unnecessary in a relationship like theirs.

“I am upset we have to meet under these circumstances after such a long period of time being unable to see you. However, I need your help, Karne.” Valera’s tone turned serious. It sounded out of place in this forsaken place. She grabbed both of his hands, his skin surprisingly warm in her hold.

“His Majesty, the King, assigned me a very important mission and you are the very first I turn to for aid, friend. I was ordered to assemble an order of powerful warriors, to prepare for the goblin onslaught. I am now asking you to join the Paladins, together we have a chance to defeat the enemy.” Her gaze was piercing as she addressed the mage, voice unwavering. His brow furrowed in concern as he listened to what the elf was sharing with him.

“The goblins?… I...Of course I will join you, Valera. It is just… it has been so long since the goblins showed any sign of hostility. This is very troubling to hear.” Karne squeezed Valera’s hands and sighed quietly.

“The news shocked everyone back home, as well. I am afraid there is not much time left for us to assemble the order.”

“We must act quickly. Fortunately for the Paladins, I have just the man for this job. A resourceful engineer who goes by the name of Barik would be more than willing to join I believe.”

“If I recall correctly…this ‘Barik’ individual whom you just mentioned…is Barik… the dwarf?” she couldn’t help but roll that word off of her tongue in a weird tone. It was a fact that elves and dwarf kind never really learn how to... tolerate one another.

“…Indeed but, I can vouch for him, Valera.” Karne nodded towards the elf.

“Thank ye healer, I’ll have another!” Barik laughed as he struggled to stand straight. In his right hand, he was clutching a cup of mead and with the other he was trying to support himself at the edge of the table.

Valera stared, unimpressed, at the imbecile before her. Karne was wearing the same expression as she was, perhaps a little bit more annoyed than usual.

“I can say with certainty that he didn’t fail to meet all of my expectations, Karne.” The bite in her tone was obvious but the mage couldn’t find the words to defend himself or the ginger dwarf on the floor. He simply crouched down and took the half empty cup from his hand and put it away.

 The mage coughed until he caught the dwarf’s attention. Barik struggled to focus for a bit, until he realized just who was standing expectantly in front of him.

“My well my, if it ain’t Karne! C’mere ye old…”he seemed to stop in the middle of the phrase as he outstretched his arms towards the mage.

“Who might this fine lass be?” he smiled at Valera and wiped away the mead falling down his chin.

“This is ridiculous, Karne. I am not putting us at risk by having this…thing join us.” She waved her wrist in Barik’s general direction but avoided looking directly at him, features displaying obvious disgust. The general turned and left the Inn just as fast as she entered it, the fresh air of the night soothing her headache.

Meanwhile, Karne decided to stay inside and sober the dwarf. It only worked partly but after he informed the mechanic of their purpose here, Barik seemed awake and alert. The dwarf eyes were opened in shock, muttering silently under his breath.

“Aye…I see we’r’ in more trouble than I thought. Alright laddie, I will join ye but...on one condition.” By this time, the two retreated in a silent corner of the Inn where they could discuss these secret matters privately. No one batted an eyelash towards them once but there were a few about the room whispering.

“Very well, what will it be?” Karne asked curiously.

“Hide my gold if I die!” Barik laughed again and the mage just about had it.

“If I recall correctly, that is illegal gold which you own.” The dwarf just shrugged his shoulders.

“Aye, but don’t tell my wife.”

“You have a wife?!”

Chapter Text

Days passed by faster than they should. Slowly, the Realm was running out of time. When the hordes of goblins struck, they targeted Ska’drin first. Their race was almost wiped off of the existence if it wasn’t for the order of Paladins interfering.

Valera could clearly recall her first day on the battlefield of Ska’drin. Countless bodies lying motionless on the blood soaked ground. The sky looked like it will fall apart and crumble on them. Blood red clouds looming ominously over the battlefield, not a speck of light visible.

The cries of the massive crowds were horrendous. The goblin race managed to bring new weapons to this fight, immense beasts made of metal, shooting out bullets at incredible speed. Compared to the swords the elven kind was wielding, the battle was almost lost.

It took some time for the elven armies to march to Ska’drin. Everyone was expecting the goblins to attack Atrium. The Paladins, however, managed to hold the enemy off long enough for the armed forces to arrive and salvage what it could from the island.

But the fighting did not stop there. No matter how many battles the elves fought against the goblins, the enemy seemed to be everywhere at once. Their armies was massive in number and the metal weapons they bought with them were discouraging, to put it lightly. Nothing could have compared with the force the goblins used to attack the Realm.

The situation was getting out of hand for the Paladins as well. That is, until Valera heard a blast of canon. Whipping her head around furiously, she saw a Krogan fighting viciously. Opening her eyes in shock, she quietly wondered if he was the last one of his kind.

The fight continued, but Valera always kept an eye on the Krogan. She only managed to approach him by nightfall, when their warriors were forced to retreat. Quietly, she stalked underneath a few rocks by the shore where the Ancient was resting.

Her reflexes felt before seeing the anchor thrown after her. She dodged the anchor just in time, heart pounding wildly.

“Who are you?!” his voice was raspy, old with wisdom. She cursed silently for being caught so easily and raised her hands in surrender.

“I am sorry for barging like this. My name is Valera of Atrium, I am leader of the order of the Paladins. I came here seeking new forces for my order.”

“It is good to hear that there is still hope for the realm, Valera of Atrium. Yet I am afraid I cannot join you yet, for I am Makoa, protector of this land and my job here it is not done.” Just in time, he moved out of the way, showing some terrified ska’drins clinging to each other and trembling.

Seeing these lost souls made Valera feel an overwhelming need to bring the foe to justice. She looked up to Makoa, the Ancient truly standing as a symbol of protection. She knew she had to do more in order to save the realm from the goblins.

“I understand, Ancient. I wish I could do more for these people but unfortunately I need to head back on the battlefield. May the Gods watch over you.”

The elven armies and the Paladins have been fightining for over four months now. They were forced to abandon Ska’drin and take refugee in Northport. Unfortunately for them, they lacked the defenses necessary to keep the goblins at bay. In this short amount of time, Valera witnessed the fall of the Ska’drin but also suffered the casualties of war. Her comrades, beings nearly immortal fell under the attacks of the goblins. The mere thought of it made Valera shiver.

In those trying times, she always counted on Karne to pick up bits and pieces of her. Numerous were times when she believed she was alone, collapsing to her knees and staring into the void. Then, she would feel a hand touch her shoulder or hear a patient voice talking her out of her daze. Karne was her strength and throughout the years the war continued, Valera felt as if he became something more.

It seemed as if everything got better after they moved on to the Ice Haven. They were pushing the hordes further back until they even reached Badlands, the place which they came from to begin with. More forces were joining their armies, finally allowing them to overpower the enemy. On the eight month of endless attacks, under the pressure of limited forces and resources, the goblins had no other option but to cease their defense and put their weapons down. Boltanas negociated the terms of surrender with their leader. The elves banished the goblins deep inside their land, securing the borders even better than before.

And such, the Paladins gained the reputation for they were not an ordinary order. They were not simple soldiers. They represented the protectors of the Realm and stood for the commonfolk. Valera stepped down from her role as a general of the elven armies, instead given the responsibility to lead and organize the Paladins shall there ever be an emergency such as the Scourge.

However, the elven paladin could not get rest at night, remembering the land and people of Ska’drin. She wasn’t sure there were any survivors left, she had no idea if Makoa succeeded back then. Guilt plagued her every moment, forbidding her of any rest. When she grew tired, she found strength once again in her comrade, Karne, who aided and soothed her troubled mind whenever needed. He was always patient with the elf, reassuring her that they did the best they could and that no one could have ever predicted the goblins’ intent.

“I believe we could have done more…if only we got there in time…if only we had more time.” Her skin was glistening with dark sweat, ears flickering nervously. Valera soon felt arms envelop her in a hug.

“It’s alright, it’s all over now.”

Chapter Text

“Not the beard!” Barik complained angrily, clutching the box closer to his chest. Tyra simply ignored him, deciding to take off instead. The dwarf watched her join Viktor on the training grounds.

Although an age of prosperity bestowed the Realm, Barik was still on the babysitting shift. His wife found the situation funny and told him it was merely training for what was to come. The dwarf would often get flustered and change the topic when it came to such things. He would rather focus on the task at hand but damn kids and his wife were making the job harder for him.

The dwarf couldn’t help but feel sorry for the runts, though. The Scourge messed everything up and a lot of children had the misfortune to end up orphans. It was Valera’s idea to take in as many of them as they could and provide for them. She felt responsible for their fate and insisted on at least trying to give them a better life.

Many of them were still traumatized and confused. Some lost hope, some felt powerless yet…there were few who had ambition and potential. Among those few, Barik counted Viktor and Tyra. The boy was still deeply affected, that much was obvious. More often than not, he showed wisdom beyond his age. He always took responsibility upon himself. He always trained to overcome his limits.

Tyra was…a free spirit and surprisingly religious. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she remembered her family well. Although the blonde had the bad habit of running into danger headfirst. She never thought a situation through. Barik could see how the two of them became close friends so fast. They completed each other perfectly, at least mentality wise.

Valera and Karne would sometimes train them, considering how both kids were so eager to learn how to properly fight. Most of the time, though, it was just the two of them battling each other. That’s when Barik came in, considering that he was mostly helping rebuilding the village, he had spare time to watch over them in between his projects.

Speaking of which, Barik was reminded he still had new weapons to work on later that day. Doing so much work was tiring but it was also fulfilling to see the Realm get back in shape. The goblins have been quiet ever since the Scourge, never making a wrong step. The elves took some drastic measures to make sure such an incident would not repeat itself. They cut off any trading the other races had with the goblins and strengthened the security at the borders. Armies were far larger than before and the soldiers were better trained.

The Paladins also took it upon themselves to find unique warriors, capable to hold everything together if the Realm’s armies were to fail. But Barik was sure such thing would not happen, given that he was the one designing the new weapons shall they ever need any.

Five years passed since the Scourge. Valera visited the land of Ska’drin but couldn’t find the Ancient anywhere. However, the threat no longer loomed over the Realm. Everything was flourishing under the careful nudge of the elves. There were still some turbulences between the elven race and the dwarves, yet that was not anything unheard of.

Humans were still…distant to those matters. They had a very different political system compared to the other races, which caused civil wars or riots. Mostly fights over which family to hold the power. Karne, Valera noticed, seemed very troubled by those developments.

“They would just abuse the power if they were to rule. I’m concerned for my people.” He confessed to Valera one night, the two of them sitting on a bench outside of the castle.

“It is strange for a leader not to act for his people best interest. That is what King Boltanas has done for us throughout years of ruling.” They were both gazing at the night sky.It was quiet around them, as if they were alone, away from the world.

“…We are weak by default, Valera. It is easy for us to fall into the claws of despair and corruption. Power is like a veil for most of us. We can be blinded by it or we can control what we see and unveil the truth.” His gaze was piercing her heart and for the shortest of moments, Valera truly thought of him as the fairest out of everyone. His hand met hers in the silence of the night and she smiled.

That is, until they both heard a soft chuckle.

“Well, humans have always been so squishy and gullible. No wonder you get in over your heads when you hold a tiny bit of power!”

“Skye? Why are you not in your chambers at such an hours?” Valera’s voice had a bite to it, covered by a calm undertone.

“What I do with my time is my business! You can’t blame me for being curious about this human.” She took a seat next to Karne, inspecting him from head to toe.

“I do not have to justify myself to you. You did interrupt a private discussion.” Karne explained with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Skye dismissed both of the adults’ mood and continued.

“Shouldn’t humans be helping more, anyways? The elves did save the Realm. Actually don’t answer, I don’t really care.” She simply stood up and winked at them.

“I will leave you to your ‘private discussion’. I have better stuff I need to do!” And just like that, she disappeared into thin air. Both Valera and Karne were annoyed and impressed with her powers of stealth. Perhaps being a descendent of the Elven King did have it’s benefits but that did not mean it was not annoying to have the Princess step into a conversation as she pleased.

“I suppose we will have to call it a night. She keeps growing more rebellious, that one.” Valera sighed, annoyed. She stood up before the mage could and locked eyes with him.

“I believe tomorrow we will bid farewell. I cannot thank you enough for your aid.” The elf continued. Karne noticed her standing in wait. He approached her cautiously, hugging her not quite like before. This embrace was similar to those of lovers, unlike their interactions. Valera responded with joy in her movement because even if her beloved was to part soon, at least she was now aware some of her feelings were reciprocated.

They stood like that a few more minutes, simply enjoying being in each other’s presence. Then Valera quietly untangled herself from the embrace and returned to her chambers, eagerly awaiting tomorrow.

Karne followed her until she was out of his sight and then approached the stables with a heavy heart. Although he was not a political figure, he still held some influence over those who ruled and house Aico has been causing trouble, drawing too much unwanted attention. Although he dreaded leaving all he built behind, he had to go back to his  homeland and fix everything before it could fall into chaos.