Under a blanket of stars, night enveloped the forest. Voices carried through the cool air as grass and leaves danced with the breeze. Reilyn Lu Telnur heard the soft crunching of twigs and dead leaves with each step. Walking between the tall, twisted trees, farther and farther, as the voices became clear. 

“Look at it run!” One said. Another voice, a boisterous laugh followed.

Then there was a pained cry, a high pitched chirping.

Reilyn quickened his pace. He weaved through the black trees, pushing branches and leaves from his face. The laughter continued as Reilyn pushed through into the opening, his crimson eyes widened at the sight. His lips quivered as his hands balled to fists. 

Two Human men stood in front of a large tree. The taller man had a dark brown mullet, the other a lighter brown pony tail. The shorter held the hilt of a dagger stabbed into the bark. The blade was driven through the bloodied tail of a small brown squirrel. Nailed to the tree, the young rodent flailed and cried in anguish. All the while, the two men laughed giddily. 

Reilyn burst out from the trees, facing towards the two men. He extended a hand towards them and lowered the other to the hilt of his sword. “What are you doing?” He shouted. 

The man with the mullet smirked “Ha!” His green eyes gleamed condescendingly down at Reilyn, “Just letting off some steam.” 

“You want a turn,” the shorter man chimed in, grinning. He looked Reilyn up and down, noting how much smaller the Dark Elf was than even himself. “Little man?” He chuckled. Reilyn rolled his eyes. 

“Crasswch’dal.” |Fucking disgusting.| Reilyn mumbled in Tey’Fat, his first language. Humans, much like the two Reilyn was glaring at, called it Othertongue. The language of the Otherworld. 

The man with the ponytail laughed again. “It’s just a squirrel,” his lip curled as he shrugged. “Why do you care so much?” 

—

“Brille’wod mwydo ute Dyll’Anum.” |He’s just a Human.| Llyma Li Chalos stated. The words slithered out, her eyes glowed with rage and her mouth was twisted into a sadistic grin. She flicked the jagged knife in her hand, blood splattering off it and onto the floor. “Kyr faci ku’bo letrae mayn?” |Why do you care so much, darling?|

With each struggle the grip on Reilyn’s wrists tightened. Restrained, forced onto his knees, his arms behind his back. The two Eyll’Una |Dark Elves| beside him kept their hold firm, pushing his knees more painfully against the carpeted floor. 

His face was in searing pain, blood and tears clogged his vision. He cried out as Llyma approached the man being restrained across from him. 

The man’s name was Ignatus Lu Flint. His dishevelled wavy black hair hung over his face. He raised his gaze to meet Reilyn’s. Llyma stood behind Ignatus. She aggressively dug her fingers in his hair and pulled his head up, scraping the blade of her knife against his throat. 

“I’m…sorry…Rei-” Ignatus croaked, his breath staggered, tears formed in his kind, dark eyes. 

Llyma gouged the blade into Ignatus’ throat, slicing his head nearly clean from his shoulders. Ignatus’ blood poured down his limp body. 

—

Reilyn gritted his teeth and pulled himself away from his memories. He glared at the two men. His left hand clutched the hilt of his sword, ready to draw. His right was back at his side, beginning to envelop in flames.

The man with the mullet scoffed and dismissively waved his hands at Reilyn. “What? Don’t they torture Humans for sport where you’re from?” 

“Taysil’dal!” |Shut the fuck up!| Reilyn shouted. “You have no idea where I’m from!” He raised his right hand towards the two men. “Kygniss!” |Fire!| Reilyn cast a blast of fire magic at them. 

While they were distracted trying to get out of the way of the flames, Reilyn lowered his casting hand to his thigh and pulled his dagger from its sheath. Before the taller man had a chance to respond, Reilyn lunged at him and grabbed his hair, driving the dagger through his mouth. The tip of the blade tore through his flesh and jabbed out the back of his neck. 

Reilyn kicked the body off the dagger. A spray of blood followed with it as the corpse hit the ground. Reilyn shook the droplets off the blade and slid it back into its sheath. All the while he kept his eyes on the other man. 

“W-what the fuck?” The man with the ponytail stuttered. 

He sneered and grabbed the struggling squirrel’s head, snapping its neck. The small furry body stopped writhing. He pulled his dagger from the tree, catching the ripped, bloody tail with his other hand. Giving Reilyn a dirty look, he dangled the small, limp body. “I’ll fucking kill you! Freak!” He shouted and threw the dead rodent at Reilyn’s feet. 

Reilyn raised his casting hand over the dead man. “Kyortus, unu melfirmi!” |Rise, weakling!| Reilyn commanded. 

—

Reilyn flipped through a massive tome in his family’s library. He glanced down at the book, and then raised his right hand. With a determined stance he took a deep breath and called out. “Kygniss!” |Fire!| But nothing happened. 

He pouted and considered lowering his hand, but then shook his head. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes. 

“Kygniss!”

Reilyn felt his hand warm up. He slowly opened one eye, then the other. His face lit up with pride as he saw the fire wrapping around his fingers. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his mother. He turned to her with a grin. “Mataw’bo, inynt!” |Mama, look!| He motioned to the small flame. 

She smiled softly at him and kneeled down to her son’s eye level. Reilyn, confused, lowered his casting hand and the flame disappeared. “Kea nelus…” |My son…| She said, her expression showed defeat. “Pebi mwod kymquis ku paresse haesum.” |There is someone you must meet.| Her grip on his shoulder tightened. 

From behind his mother, another woman walked into the room; Llyma Li Chalos. Dressed in an expensive white gown, she was notably older than his mother. Gracefully, she walked over to them. Reilyn’s mother stood up and stepped out of the way, hesitantly letting Llyma circle around Reilyn. Llyma glanced the young boy up and down. She nodded approvingly. 

Reilyn looked up towards his mother, “Kyr mwod taigis bin, mataw’bo?” |What’s going on, mama?| He asked, befuddled. 

Llyma moved in front of Reilyn. “Quont pler’bo botem faci.” |The lovely boy will do.| She placed a finger under his chin, tilting his face upwards towards her. Llyma grinned down at Reilyn wickedly. “Migo botem lladeo ruia kea glos’bo dondo brille mwod re diwte.” |I will return for my pretty flower when he is of age.|