Underdark
Middledark
City state of Nirnyahr
18th of Felsite, Morning
40th Day

 

King Etrin was bored, since his daughter left to become a soldier, there wasn’t anyone to call him every hour or so to tell him what his daughter had done that wasn’t tradition or what a dwarf lady should be doing. He was now thinking fondly of those days when his rowdy daughter caused trouble, his son Turindur was a model dwarf and his second daughter a girly girl only interest in being an alchemist.

Fortunately all this would change because of the letters his daughter and his friend Ulfric sent him three days ago via messenger. Brunhilda used her royal privileges to let a Sun-Elf mage enter the Iron Fang settlement after she destroyed a beast tide single-handedly.

Those kinds of mages were really rare that someone like this Lady Dragonfang was around on this planet and not nicely imprisoned on her homeworld as a strategic mage showed that she had a lot of clout to be able to act freely.

And there’s Ulfric report showing how a big a service this Lady had rendered to the realm, now the mountain pass was sealed and the majority of the monsters annihilated. That old dragoness Siodhanth wouldn't like that at all and would surely act soon.

*How can I take advantage of the next move?* he asked himself.

Siodhanth and Dragonfang were bound to clash, this was a certainty; however, was the she-elf able to defeat a dragon? He hoped for her sake that she could. About to get down from his throne, Etrin was interrupted by a running pageboy in the usual red uniform. The boy huffed and puffed before the throne and once he regained his breath, bowed and said, “Yer Majesty, Princess Brunhilda arrived in Nirnyahr.”

A wicked smile appeared on Etrin’s face, the same one his daughter had inherited from him. “Excellent, thank ye boy!”

The boy bowed again, turned heel and ran to the exit of the throne room, Etrin stood up and began to rub his hands while still grinning. The courtiers shuddered and asked themselves who were the poor sods who would be under the scrutiny of the High-King. His footsteps echoed on the marble floor, everyone noticed the pep in his steps as he walked to his royal lounge.

In Nirnyahr it was well known that High-King Etrin Brightforge was a trickster and a jokester, some of his jokes were legendary but fortunately he never went too far. Already waiting for him in the luxuriously furnished lounge was his wife, the jewel of Nirnyahr; the most beautiful dwarven lady in the kingdom who looked at him with a scowl, and Etrin’s smile wilted.

Vanhylde was sitting on a brown leather sofa with a book in her hand that she promptly closed, she stood up and her white gown trailed behind her as she walked toward her husband. Face to face with him, she said, “No jokes, ye’ll receive our daughter normally.”

“Aww, but me love this…” Etrin began to whine.

“Shut up.” She said as her gaze became hard and she pointed a glowing finger at him.

Etrin wasn’t crazy enough to defy his wife, the strongest sorceress in Svartalfheim. Vanhylde had paralyzed him for a day when he tried to prank her with spicy cinnamon rolls. He still remembered how painful it was to have stayed standing with his mouth open in a laugh; flies had even entered his mouth, an experience he wasn’t ready to relive.

“Now, ye’ll sit in dat big sofa of yers and order some snacks and tea until Hilda comes to join us. Is dat understood?” Vanhylde commanded.

Etrin lowered his eyes and said, “Yes me Queen.”

“Good. Ah am going to see dis Dragonfang Lady first and place her in tha guest wing.” Vanhylde snapped her fingers and disappeared in a shower of pink light.

Etrin loved his wife, but she was always ruining his fun… but if he couldn’t prank today, he will surely do it the next; his scheming smile appeared once again on his face and he touched the Palace’s wards ordering a servant to come.

---

Bleeergh. Elissa was feeling so nauseous, that she puked in the teleportation circle; of course she wasn’t alone in her plight. Reinatiel and Fenirael were doing the same, the two pseudodragons weren’t affected and looked at their three companions with disgust and flew out of the circle to avoid being puked on. Brunhilda was laughing while holding her tummy.

*I knew it! She deceived me! The teleportation circle isn’t stable, it is only geared toward dwarven physiology. * Elissa thought bitterly.

The demonesses helped each other, Reinatiel being the most affected by the teleportation; she glared at Brunhilda who kept laughing not even regretting her actions.

“Hilda! Cough. I will. Cough. Get you for this!” Elissa spat.

The young woman conjured an ice construct and used the create water spell to fill it; she proceeded to rinse her mouth and spat on the ground. Elissa threw the bottle at Fenirael who caught and did the same.

“Aye, maybe.” Brunhilda smirked wolfishly as she helped her friend to get up while patting her back.

Reinatiel banished the product of their vomit with magic, cleaning up behind them so as to not leave any DNA fragment that could be used in rituals and to not let their hosts think they were without manners.

Elissa speared her friend with a glare. “There’s no maybe, there’s only revenge.”

Brunhilda couldn’t wait to see how the she-elf would get her revenge, getting pranked back was part of the game. Her father was a really bad influence on her she realized. Helping her friend to leave the circle, Brunhilda guided the group out of the city’s teleport station. Nirnyahr was located in a gigantic cavern in the subterranean realm of the underdark, ten miles below the surface.

The ceiling of the cavern though didn’t let anyone think that they were underground, it was as bright as day; illusion of clouds and a blue sky. Mesmerized, Elissa looked at the white city extending under her, at its center was a gigantic palace with golden roofs surrounded by towers and at least three walls. The city was built in a circle around it. It seemed that Nirnyahr was divided into districts, Elissa noticed that there was a part of the city where there was a lot of industry.

Through Elissa’s enhanced mage-sight she could see that a lot of magic was worked there as the atmosphere was thick with mana.

“Hilda, your place is really beautiful. The climate control arrays and the life support spells embedded in the wards are simply exquisite.” Elissa gushed.

It was like being in the Sanctum, the security and living wards here were powerful, efficient and had multiple redundancies. The teleport station was in the face of a cliff, one-hundred meters high; carved stairs and a bridge of eight-hundred meters led to the thick white city walls.

“Ya’ve seen nothin’ yet, Elissa; at night, tha ceilin’ reflects tha night sky from outside, and ya can see tha stars and tha planets. Magix is wonderful, aye.” Brunhilda seemed to like astronomy.

Looking at ceiling Elissa said, “I can’t wait, I will come back here and take a high-resolution picture.”

“A what?” Brunhilda asked.

Elissa looked in her spatial toe ring and saw that her phone was still there. “I will show you later, Hilda.”

“Mistress, this place is built on a Major Nexus.” Reinatiel informed Elissa.

The demoness mage placed herself at her mistress’ side, her eyes glowing red as she used her own mage-sight to analyze the city’s wards.

“I noticed, and it is owned by someone powerful. Slightly weaker than mother.” Elissa watched the movement of mana in the city when a hole in reality appeared beside them. “Everyone step back, someone is teleporting here.”

Brunhilda had a really bad feeling suddenly. Then her fears were confirmed when she saw her mother, the High-Queen before them. Elissa spotted the family resemblance right away, this was a more adult version of Brunhilda; she had blonde hair styled in an updo with her jewelled golden tiara, the lady was wearing a white gown and beautiful silver heeled ankle boots. To Elissa she smelled of earth and roses, and her overwhelming magical aura had the same mana signature as the owner of the Nexus.

“Well I guess I know who she is, now.” Elissa grumbled

Brunhilda hadn’t seen her mother for a longtime, “Ma’ why are ye here?”

Vanhylde scowled and crossed her arms, her arms were bulging with elegant muscles. She wasn’t too buff for a dwarven lady. “It seems that ye lost some of yer manners on tha surface, dear.”

“Hum, good morn Ma’ ah’m happy tae see ye.” Brunhilda hugged her mother awkwardly and kissed her.

“Better.” Vanhylde then turned her eyes to Elissa who didn’t avert her gaze at all, the High-Queen liked what she was seeing and also discovered that Lady Dragonfang wasn’t a Sun-Elf but under a powerful glamour.

“Hilda, yer father wants tae see ye.” Said the High-Queen as she squinted her eyes at Elissa.

Brunhilda walked to her mom and said, “But…”

“Nae but. Git.” Vanhylde waved her hand and Brunhilda disappeared in a shower of sparks with a surprised expression on her face.

“Was that really necessary your Majesty?” The young woman tilted her head.

The two looked at each other, Vanhylde thought that this little lady had a lot of spunk; she was not at all afraid of her. Was it through ignorance or bravado; turning her head to the demonesses and familiars around her, the High-Queen knew that this party wasn’t to be trifled with.

“Lady Dragonfang, ah’m so happy to finally meet ye. Ah heard a lot of good things about ye, However, ah’m leery of letting ye enter me city. Before ah gave ye permission tae do so, ken ye explain why ye’re under such a powerful glamour?”

Elissa closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose, now she knew the gig was up. She chose to tell the Dame dwarf the truth, as she saw through her glamour; Elissa looked at Reinatiel who nodded at her.

“I hope you have a bit of time, your Majesty as this is a long story.” Elissa began.

The young woman expunged on her situation, how her sorceress mother put an irremovable artifact that projected an Elven glamour around her neck, Sparta’d her onto Svartalfheim, how she annihilated the Trolls and Fishfolks around Lake Aryther, battled a Kraken and a Dragon Turtle in the Lake, stole their treasures, freed the Lutrinian. Made the entire Aryther and its surroundings her Pocket Realm, her confrontation with the dark elves and why she went to find the dwarves.

The High-Queen had cast a zone of truth spell around her to prevent any lies from being spoken. It was a really powerful spell used in judicial affairs; Elissa had felt compelled not to speak any falsehoods, she could have resisted the spell but decided to roll with it. As for Vanhylde, she was completely dumbfounded by this strange human girl under the guise of an elf, she was powerful and still a journeywoman in magic but she possessed the strength of an Archmage and the power of a demigod.

*It's as if being sent here is her trials.* Vanhylde thought.

Suddenly there was something she didn’t understand, what were the motivations of Elissa Dragonfang’s mother to send her here? Conquest? Or a beachhead for an invasion? “Wait, why would yer Ma’ send ye onto tha inimical surface of Svartalfheim?”

“Maybe I can enlighten you on that, your Majesty.” Reinatiel intervened, placing herself between the High-Queen and her mistress.

“Who might ye be?” Vanhylde asked. This wasn’t the first for her to see demons, but weirdly those two at Elissa’s side didn’t seem evil nor carried the smell of the abyss. Another mystery surrounding the girl who befriended her daughter.

“I am Lady Dragonfang’s handmaiden and bodyguard, your Majesty.” Reinatiel bowed low, but not too much. As she straightened herself, she gazed in the High-Queen’s eyes waiting for her to give her permission to speak.

Vanhylde harrumphed and said, “Very well ye can speak, girl.”

Smiling, Reinatiel began, “Thank you, your Majesty. Mistress’ mother is one of your peers, a sorceress like yourself; she sent my lady to train on Svartalfheim and develop her powers. Let’s say that Queen Malicia is a firm believer of the ‘Lions push their cubs over a cliff and raise only the ones that climb back up’ thing. My mistress has been thrown from one death struggle to the next to be as powerful as she is right now.”

“That’s horrible!” Vanhylde looked disgusted by what she just learned. “Come here, girl. You need a hug.” The High-Queen waved Elissa to come to her.

“Hum, that isn’t necess-”

“Don’t be an idiot c’mere.” Vanhylde forcefully pulled Elissa into a hug, this was awkward as the young woman was taller than her. After a moment, she appreciated the gesture; but Elissa would have prefered that it came from her own mother, Malicia with a long string of apologies. *As if.* Elissa giggled.

Untangling herself from Elissa but still keeping a steel grip on her wrist, Vanhylde led Elissa down the stairs. “We are goin’ tae the palace, ye’ll have food and a big bed, Hilda is goin’ tea bunk with ye though. Ah dinna want ye tae be alone. Understood?”

The tone was commanding, but not overbearing; however something told Elissa that she wouldn’t like to see what would happen if she refused.

“Hum, well, yes your Majesty.” Elissa nodded.

The dwarf lady scrunched her face up at her title, it put too much distance between the girl and herself. “Nae, call me Vanhylde; ye’re friends with Hilda.”

“Yes, Vanhylde.”

While they were descending the stairs, Vanhylde put an obfuscation spell around them and began to speak, telling Elissa what she was planning to do, “Ah will keep the fact that ye’re human tae meself, it’s good dat comin’ to dis planet ya didn’t give yer true family name. Dis is a good muddlin’ of tha waters.”

“I learned from the best.” Elissa wasn’t lying, the sheer number of diplomacy, spy work and investigation lessons her mother gave her when she was barely thirteen years old was staggering. However the young woman still prefered brute force to subtlety.

Vanhylde shook her head as she sped the group over the bridge, giving her the time to question the girl. She was too capable for her age, there must have been more issues plaguing her. “Ah’m sure of it, yer Ma’ doesn’t seem tae like tae foster weakness in her little ones.”

“I feel that she’s preparing me for something, but I don’t know why.” Elissa said, it was weird talking about her like this to a complete stranger but Elissa couldn’t stop speaking.

Vanhylde nodded, pushing a child this much couldn’t be done without reasons, a normal one would have crumbled or given up. She found Elissa even more extraordinary for having survived. “Hmm, if she pushed ye dis far all yer life… there must be a reason, aye ah agree.”

Arriving at the gates, the group was stopped by a number of guards who, noticing that the High-Queen was there, didn’t stop them from entering the city. A group of five guards followed the party as an escort. Elissa was amazed by how everything looked in the city, the houses and shops were kept clean and the dwarves going about their business were polite to each other.

“Vanhylde, are there slums in this city?” Everything looked too shiny, squeaky clean.

Elissa noticed that there was a seamstress advertising her work by showing illusions of gowns, riding outfits and more modern templates. However, Vanhylde kept her from looking and still guided her through the crowd in the street.

Giggling, the High-Queen answered with, “Aye, every city has a darkside girl.” As if it was the most natural thing.

“I can say that I am not surprised.” People didn’t try to stop or hinder them, it seemed that they knew who the Queen was.

Vanhylde continued. “Dis city ken be good for hardworkin’ dwarves, but those dat failed or have given up are in tha slum; nevertheless, through hard work they ken get back on their feet.”

Elissa clapped, smiling. “This is a meritocracy, I like how you dwarves live so far, your majesty.”

“Thank ye, girl. Ye’ll fit in well.”

Vanhylde explained that the city had different levels, and that the Palace and prime city were just the tip of the iceberg. There were multiple levels to the city ranging from housing to garrisons linked by tunnels. Nirnyahr was a true maze for visitors. They finally arrived before the palace where Elissa was received by a sullen looking Brunhilda.

“Ma’ we need tae talk! Pa’ revoked my military contract! What am ah goin’ tae do?” This was the first time Elissa heard Brunhilda whine and act her age. She was just becoming an adult by the dwarves’ standard, but being confronted with her family made her act like a girl Elissa’s age.

The High-Queen sighed heavily, dealing with her husband’s and children’s games was utterly exhausting most of the times. “Oh, dat old goat is havin’ his fun. Ah see. Dinna worry, dear; ah have a plan.”

She reassured her daughter with a pat on her helmetless head, that she would find an angle to exploit to make her husband see reason.

“Your father seems to be Hel bent on controlling your life, Hilda.” Elissa remarked.

“Dinna talk tae me about it. Hmph.” Brunhilda raged and seemed to want to break things.

The party was brought to the guest wing where they were housed in a cavernous apartment with different bedrooms, a library and living room separated by a wooden partition. Through her enhanced mage-sight, Elissa wasn’t surprised to find that spy holes were present in the marble walls or the paintings.

*How cliché.* She thought.

Elissa liked the decorations and furniture though, the spy enchantments in each of the different rooms of the apartment weren’t funny to her. She resolved to crush them with an antimagic spell as she handled each of the items they were linked to; a figurine of the High-King, a rune on the wooden wall separating the living room from the bedroom. Reinatiel helped her in this endeavor and disabled the spy enchantments pieces of the decorations around them.

The more Elissa used her enhanced mage-sight, the more redundant enchantments she discovered. So she decided to stop and just secure the bedroom with an overpowered antimagic field, Elissa’s white and gold aura extended pervasively to the entire bedroom; once done she was satisfied to have succeeded.

“I think we are bug free, Mistress.” Fenirael said as she put her two-handed sword against the wall near the closet.

Reinatiel sat on the bed, unzipping her catsuit; a flash of skin and breast caught Elissa’s eye and she promptly ignored it. Rilo climbed onto the bed, stretched and began her daily nap. Her mate, Aghri was busy trying to wrestle with a rubber ball.

“Good, I am going to wait for Brunhilda to come and maybe read the books here to learn more about the palace. Did you notice that all of them are all about Nirnyahr and give a historical background?”

“This is an attempt at educating ambassadors, I guess.” Reinatiel said, she was naked and pranced this way in the room until she sat on the sofa located near the door of the bedroom.

“Rei, put something on!” Elissa spat as she glared at the demoness.

A taunting smile was on Reinatiel’s face, “Why? I feel so warm.”

“You minx.” Elissa turned her head and began to take off her armor with Fenirael’s help and she reciprocated the gesture with the full-plate armor of the demoness.

Elissa felt that she needed to enchant her armor as soon as possible; she just knew that it would be important for later. Suddenly she noticed that it had been a longtime since she had prayed to her goddess, with everything piled on her shoulders, maybe offering her thanks to the continued help of her patron would assuage her guilt toward Hekate.

Ten minutes later, the party made a makeshift altar with the low table in the living room, Elissa conjured a construct in the form of Hekate with golden magic candles around it with the effect of healing; once it was extinguished or went out, the being or creature closest to the candle received an amount of healing that, on average, was proportional to the length of time the candle burned.

*And they smell like flowers.* Elissa thought to herself.

Elissa, the demonesses and pseudodragons spent twenty minutes in prayer to Hekate; this was the scene that Brunhilda walked in on and watched. When they finished, the dwarven princess made her presence known; of course they had already known she was there.

“Ah want tae ask a question.” Brunhilda’s soft alto voice thick with dwarven accent said.

Elissa’s eyebrow raised at her friend’s tone. “Ask, and maybe you shall receive an answer.”

“Why are ye, Rei and Feni naked?” Brunhilda looked at each of the women and smirked.

The young woman looked at herself, her Demonesses giggled causing her to blush. “Huh? Well… I remembered that I hadn't prayed to my patron goddess while I was taking off my armor.” Elissa said defensively.

Sighing, Brunhilda retorted, “Couldn’t it have waited?”

Averting her eyes and scratching her head, Elissa answered, “Maybe.”

“Sometimes, I worry about you Elissa.” Brunhilda shook her head as she looked at her friend with a pitying gaze.

The young girl rolled her eyes and asked, “Where can I find a bathroom?”

Elissa felt that she needed creature comforts right now, maybe a good cold bath, she hated hot water with a passion. This phenomenon was brought out by the nature of her physiology and personal powers, often Elissa found herself freezing the warm water when entering a bath.

“Ya mean, tha royal bathroom.” Brunhilda corrected.

Elissa nodded. “Exactly.”

This was how Elissa found herself in the royal bath which looked deceptively like a miniature version of Roman Baths. The water which bubbles up from the ground, falls as rain on the nearby water system. It percolates down through limestone aquifers where artificial geothermal energy raises the water temperature.

Elissa was gallivanting by herself in the circular bath with the water at minus twenty degrees celsius, her familiars couldn’t endure it so they went into the neighboring one.

She began to hum a happy song backed by her Siren ability. The Demonesses felt themselves relax even more lulled to sleep by their mistress’ enchanting tone. Rilo didn't get sleepy but kept splashing water everywhere as she kept swimming and jumping into the air like a Dolphin. Aghri was busy looking at his mate in the water, she was so going to be getting lucky tonight; he was happy about having chosen Rilo as his mate even though his Matriarch was against the match because of the color of her scales.

Elissa thought about which type of enchantments she was going to imbue into her two suits of armor, maybe it was due to the fact that she was aware that the attack on her person through the beast tide wasn’t due to chance. On the way to the palace, Vanhylde had told her that without a doubt the fire Dragoness Siodhanth was behind it.

*Just because I almost trespassed onto her territory.* Elissa’s resolve steeled at that moment, something told her that when she would leave the Dwarven Kingdom that the Dragoness would confront her on pure principle; she knew how prideful true Dragons were.

Through the quality of her armor’s materials she felt that they would be able to support at least three enchantments; nothing fancy though. Rising from the water Elissa strode through the circular bath, the place she had been sitting in froze instantly and once she was out of the water it became completely solid. Her mastery over ice was such that she could keep ice liquid or solid through will alone.

Once out of the bath she instantly dried herself with a wind spell.

<Elissa come have fun with us!> Rilo shouted.

“Sorry, cutie but hot water is bad for me, when you are done come back to our guestroom.” Elissa excused herself and left. In the changing room she put on her undies, a simple white silk tunic and comfy pants with sandals.

Elissa tied her hair in a loose ponytail and walked through the gigantic corridors of the palace, sometimes she wondered why the dwarves didn’t do things to their height and if they had something like a complex about it. She would never voice it though, this would be more than rude. Politics was as blunt as a warhammer with the dwarves.

Back in the apartments assigned to her, Elissa took her engraving kit from her spatial toe ring; it was a toolbox in lacquered wood, in a cantilever style with different engraving stylus in each compartment. This particular toolbox was made for her by her mother and enchanted to be fireproof and to resist being destroyed. Elissa sat on the sofa in the living room with the pieces of her Nightscale Armor on the low table.

Enchantment was the process of inscribing magical runes on items, typically a piece of armor or a weapon; however, the practice spread to everyday life items or more specialized professional tools.

Phantasian people had been using enchantments for eons and typically used them for practical purposes, such as making a blade sharper, or armor more durable. A rune-smith had to work for years to learn how to enchant and had to pass an exam to become a mage-engineer. From the historical archives in the Sanctum, Elissa knew that the first skyship ever or first computers were created six thousand years ago and since then their craft has evolved to form the foundation of the futuristic magical society of Phantasia.

The young woman was proficient enough to be able to enchant her gear herself. Elissa took an engraver in her hand, it had the form of a silver fountain pen with a hermetically sealed transparent crystal tube inside but what you wrote in with the nib wasn’t ink but pure mana.

While charging the engraver in her hand Elissa thought about what she needed for this light-armor; she wanted the armor to have the standard resistance to slashing, piercing and bludgeoning strikes her last fight with the dark elves had taught her that. A thermal resistance enchantment for her armor to be able to resist her frost aura and dragon fire; to finish she would need to up its durability.

The engraver was finally full with Elissa’s golden colored mana; she began with the leather armor and began to write the glowing magical runes in the air, using spell coding to program the type of resistance she wanted in the enchantment to make it as powerful as she could. Once she was satisfied with the runework, Elissa guided the runes into the material.

The leather armor glowed gold briefly as the force of magic changed the nature of the material to reinforce it by following the instructions given by Elissa through the magical runes. This is what enchanting amounted to, changing the nature of something and make it obey another set of rules not always following the laws of nature.

After this, Elissa added enchantments for high-durability and thermal resistance, before enchanting the rest of the armor’s pieces.

It was already afternoon when she began to enchant her Mithril Half-Plate armor, but the enchantments were going to be different on this one. After recharging her engraver with her mana, Elissa enchanted the skinsuit armor and each of the pieces of plate with the resizeable rune; who knew, maybe she would get taller and more muscular or give it to Cassandra.

After enchanting everything with elemental resistance, a runework more powerful than thermal resistance Elissa felt the draw on her mana. This put her at seventy percent if she calculated what was left in her mana core. Finishing with a high-durability on all the pieces, Elissa got hungry after this much work. Looking outside Elissa noticed that it was finally night and it was beautiful outside. The young woman walked onto the veranda outside her suite, she was able to see the noble district; but it wasn’t what got her attention, it was the ceiling of the cavern showing the gas giant and other planets, the stars and a blue nebula.

Elissa stayed a longtime like this, stargazing before being interrupted.

“Mistress, you are done with your work. Come here, High-Queen Vanhylde served us specialty foods.” Reinatiel said as she took her mistress’ arm and made her enter the apartment.

They dined on a three courses meal, Brunhilda having warned her mother about Elissa’s appetite. There were a lot of meat, vegetables, fruit juice and pastries, enough for at least twelve people but it was all devoured by a gluttonous Elissa and spoiled dragon familiars. Reinatiel and Fenirael ate less than their mistress, they had after all to look after their figure, not possessing the cheat-like physiology of the ancient humans.

After a good meal, the party went to sleep; Elissa meditated and absorbed more cosmic energy before giving into exhaustion and entering the land of dreams.

---

Forbidden Forest

Siodhanth opened her wings widely and breathed white fire into the sky, the word failed burned in her mind. She had failed in taking out a simple elven mage. Taking care to not burn any of the precious magical fruit trees that sustained her; the true dragoness shifted into her humanoid form as she entered the cavern she called home.

The inside of the cave was full of raw precious gems and fire mana crystals, the tunnel like entrance gave way into a giant chamber. The fire crystals’ red light lit the place that would otherwise be a vast dark space; the furniture inside was sparse, there was a throne that shone silver in the middle of it and a space full of sand that was considered a bed by dragons.

A growl escaped her when she finished breathing fire in fury, she sat on her rocky adamantite throne in the middle of the cavern space, she was surrounded by her hoard of gold, jewelry and artifacts that she took from the wave of adventurers who came to try to defeat her for two thousand years. And they still kept coming.

The dragoness was in her elven form, and gorgeous, she had beautiful copper skin with blood red hair and ruby like eyes and she was two meters tall. Siodhanth wore a crimson and gold armor covering her bust, the design was roman in style; the red leather skirt and vambraces were made out of her own scales as were the greaves and sabatons she wore.

This beauty was marred by the furious expression on her face and the blood colored aura blazing around her. As she remembered the lightning spell that tore her beast minions apart, she shuddered, and didn’t think that she could take an attack like that and not be grievously wounded. The dragoness shuddered. Realizing what this feeling she felt was, her fist fell heavily onto the jewel encrusted armrest of her throne that should have cracked on impact but stayed whole as it was enchanted to resist her tantrums.

“How dare she?! How dare she make me feel fear?” The dragoness growled.

“Fear.” She said as she tasted the smell of it through the air.

Siodhanth’s eyes blazed red with a furious glow, her sultry voice echoing off the walls of her home. “I will tear her limb from limb while alive and I…”

However, her anger cooled and she decided to be smart about this. “No. I will defeat her first, kill her allies before her and finally devour her and absorb her power.”

It was one of the abilities of the true dragons to devour the magic cores of other magically aligned creatures and become stronger. Siodhanth liked this idea more and more and licked her lips in anticipation. “You are mine, little elf. There’s nowhere you can flee.”

Siodhanth began to plan and scheme, and thought about how to seal that pesky lightning magic her foe possessed. From the abilities the pesky elf had shown she was at least a wind and lightning mage. The dragoness knew one or two Mythal that would prevent certain school of magic and elements from being employed. Siodhanth was confident that in the realm of physical combat she would be able to triumph easily.

“I will make you pay, she-elf.” She growled, then began to cackle evilly.

 

---

City state of Nirnyahr
19th of Felsite, Morning
41st Day

 

“COLD!!!” shouted Brunhilda as she got out of the bath she had chosen to share with Elissa who was now cackling evilly.

“I told you that you’d pay for what you did, Hilda!” The young woman splashed cold water at the dwarven princess who agily evaded it.

Brunhilda began to tremble because of her exposure to this wintry temperature. “Holaf, how can it be this cold and stay liquid?”

“Magic.” Elissa said simply.

For Elissa, the day had just begun with a grumbling dwarven princess taking away her bed sheet and exposing her and her naked familiars. After an explanation for their sleeping arrangement to the princess, Elissa was having breakfast with Bunhilda and they were quickly sent to the royal baths.

The young woman was pondering about the breakfast dishes she had tasted in the palace, hot Kava with milk, porridge with a little scoop of butter, sugar sprinkled on top and finally the pie. It was a berry fruit pie, that was so delicious that Elissa didn’t share any of it and greedily ate everything.

“Princess, come here with us! Mistress hates hot water.” Fenirael said from the neighboring circular bath.

Brunhilda looked at Elissa and said, “This means war, Dragonfang.”

“Bring it on, Princess.” The redhead taunted as she splashed another cold water sprout at her.

Evading it yet again, Brunhilda plunged into the hot water bath. Surfaced to look at Elissa. “Hmph.”

The redhead began to create ice sculptures of winged naked demonesses and animate them with her magic, they flew around the circular baths beating their bat-like wings. Elissa got out of the bath and began to rub her soapy hands on her body; she felt that her muscles had become rather more defined as of late.

Elissa heard a loud cough and saw her dwarven friend at her side, rubbing soap on her body. “Elissa, ya’ll be havin’ an audience with me Da’ and ah think ah need to coach ye for it.”

“Please tell me your father is a reasonable dwarf, like your mother?” The young woman hoped against all hope that at least one of her friends would have a normal parent.

However, her hopes were dashed.

“Me Da’ is anythin’ but reasonable, ah’m sorry.” Brunhilda said with finality, her eyes expressing compassion for what she will have to go through later today.

“Hel.” Elissa swore.

Elissa began to think that she preferred to deal with the Queen, she reminded her a bit of Sandra Jordan, a cool mom to have. Once she was done rubbing, the young woman used the create water spell continuously as if she was under a shower, the soapy water fell off from her and ended up following a canal designed it for it.

After their bath, Elissa’s party found themselves in her guestroom, Brunhilda was styling her new friend’s hair with a dwarven style braid on long red hair. They chose a new gown that Elissa had made while she was in the Iron Fang settlement. It was purple with silver thread decorations. Elissa looked like Arwen from Lord of the Rings but prettier and curvier, though the young woman wished she were taller.

She wished that she could have horns like Malicia and Cassandra, even kickass claws and a tail; why did her mom chose an elf glamor? Brunhilda finished caring for Elissa’s hair and presented her with three different bottles of perfume, the magical kind. Each of the liquids in the bottles shined with a magical glow. They were displayed on the table of the mirror’s parlour in the bedroom.

“Dis one has tha scent of Hibiscus, it attracts love or lust and can also cause prophetic dreams about yer lover.” Brunhilda said as she pointed to a bottle in the form of a heart with a red liquid inside.

“Tha second one has tha scent of Goldenseal flowers, it’s tha most prized here, it gives luck in general.” The bottle was a vial in the form of sphere and the liquid inside was yellow.

The dwarf princess introduced the last one, it was a rectangular bottle with white liquid inside. “Tha most expensive; its effects promotes peace and harmony.”

“Give me the hibiscus one.” Elissa said. She wanted to dream about Dawn. With all the excitement that happened here, Elissa didn’t think enough about her girlfriend who was without a doubt seeing hell as she trained under her mother.

“Are ya sure? Ah mean, aren’t ye already in love with yer two Demonesses? With the way ye destroyed dat beast tide alone when she was wounded, and how ah always find ye naked between them...”

“Eh, what?” Elissa’s head whipped to the smiling face of Brunhilda.

Fenirael and Reinatiel giggled at that. “Yes, we love our mistress, Princess Brunhilda.” They said in unison.”

“I-I sure do love them, but not this way!” Elissa’s golden skin became a shade of bronze.

“Keep telling yerself dat.” Brunhilda clapped. “Ya two slowpokes there, put on those dresses.” The Princess said as she looked at Elissa’s familiars who sat on the bed observing her work.

“Yes.” Reinatiel and Fenirael said, again in unison.

It was almost time for the audience and everyone had taken the time to prepare themselves mentally for it, Brunhilda had described it was a really formal affair with some elder dwarves who will be there to see protocol being respected. The General of the armies will be there as well as the minister of economy. The architecture of the palace became more and more ostentatious as Elissa approached the throne room.

They were stopped at the doors and a chamberlain in a majordomo uniform sorted them by order of importance and told them the order of their entry.

“Princess Brunhilda will enter first, and you Lady Dragonfang as the claimant will enter second with your party.”

“Understood.” Elissa said seriously as she squared her shoulders and put her game face on and channeled her inner Malicia. Her eyes flashed disdainfully and she let out a bit of her inner cold aura that was already sipping out.

The change bothered Brunhilda who didn’t have any time to comment on it as the doors of the throne room opened.

“Princess Brunhilda Brightforge, Duchess of the Fabled Tops and Baroness of Mansston Hills.” The Herald announced.

The dwarven princess walked with purpose, rolling her hips subtly as she entered the throne room, her red dress accentuated her form and musculature, she was richly decorated with golden jewelry and blue gems. Elissa couldn’t possibly not see the lusty gaze some of the military and noble dwarves threw at her, it disgusted her that this kind of attention was turned towards her friend.

Placing herself at the royal family’s side, Brunhilda looked at her friend whose feelings and thoughts were now obscured to her. Normally Elissa was an open book in a personal setting and was easy to get along with; it was like she was born in the wrong body and should have been a dwarf maiden. But now this icy facade she had put on made her think of the she-elf that destroyed a beast tide by herself and was at the gate of the Iron Fang settlement worrying all the soldiers and guards.

“Lady Elissa Dragonfang of the House Dragonfang, Lady of Aryther, First of her name, The Storm Mage and Monster Bane and company.” The Herald announced, but there was a squeak at the end of it as Elissa looked coldly at him.

Elissa and her handmaidens, followed by her pseudodragons walked in the throne room with a predatory gait, the young woman herself radiated power and charisma in spades. The demonesses caused the military dwarves to put a hand on their weapon, Elissa smiled at this; expecting it. Receiving a very different welcome from the Princess she saw wariness, distrust and worry on the face of the courtiers. Elissa didn’t care about the people so she focused on the elements of the throne room that she could see.

The solid black marble floor was decorated with silver geometric forms that in a way formed a giant magic circle. Through her enhanced mage-sight she could see that she had entered the heart of the nexus of Nirnyahr, the center of Vanhylde’s power who in a sense was the true power in this realm. The grey columns supported the arched cavernous room and behind them Elissa could see camouflaged men who surely were hidden bodyguards.

The walls were covered with tapestries with the coat of arms of the royal family, an Anvil and Hammer in gold filigree on a red fabric. Elissa’s eyes then focused on the royal family; there was High-King Etrin, a brown haired dwarf in golden armor sitting on his ornate golden throne, his face inscrutable. The High-Queen Vanhylde was at his side with a similar throne, she was clothed in the same red gown has her daughter. At Etrin’s side there was a young man looking exactly like him but he oozed seriousness and his try hard attitude told Elissa that he wasn’t fun to hang around.

Brunhilda was at her mother’s side, the side of her lips slightly up and near her sat a cute little dwarf girl, she had blonde hair like Brunhilda and Vanhylde. She looked bored and as if she didn’t want to be here; Elissa was totally with her on that.

Once before the High-King and Queen Elissa slightly bowed, acknowledging their position but not letting them have any illusions that they held any power over her. Vanhylde slightly nodded at that and was happy that the girl knew her etiquette. Etrin smiled wryly at that, but didn’t comment on it.

“Well met Lady Dragonfang, we are gladdened tae finally put a face on tha sun-elf who is tha talk of tha Underdark; we are also thankful for tha service ye unknowingly rendered tae the crown.” King Etrin leaned forward, intrigued by the change of personality of this she-elf, his spies told him how happy-go-lucky she had been with his wife and daughter.

But it seemed that the mysteries about this sun-elf would never be put into the light, at least not today. To him she was acting like someone who is used to making decisions, a leader; not experienced but finding her way in the troubled waters of politics.

Elissa smiled radiantly and slightly bowed her head, her hand on her purple gown performing a graceful curtsey. “Well met, your Majesty. I really appreciate this warm welcome and have been enthralled by the dwarven culture. You are also the first race to not attack me on sight and it was refreshing to not have to kill people for a change.”

“Oh we heard about dat, those damned dark elves from Thafnoris. They stole from ye first, we heard and they had tha gall tae try tae retaliate?” Etrin laughed at that slapping the armrest of his throne, the general followed him and did the same.

They hated dark elves as they often tried to steal land from them in the Underdark. Vanhylde rolled her eyes at them and pinched her husband’s arm to make him stop. He received the message.

Elissa stopped smiling, remembering those elves and the Matriarch that almost killed her. “They tried and they died.” Elissa nodded, her Siren voice ability activating despite herself, making everyone feel cold and gloomy. “I told Clan Bhelveth’s Matriarch that I would make them bleed and die by my hands if they came after me, but they didn’t listen and sent their army. I broke them in the Sun Plains where they had tried to ambush me.”

“Ah-we see.” Etrin said.

As for Vanhylde she understood that Elissa had more hidden depths than previously known, from her daughter’s report, the girl was abnormally strong, possessed strong magic and was without a doubt deity touched. Making an enemy out of her would be foolish in the extreme, but it seemed that others had raised her ire; Vanhylde felt that Thafnoris’ days were numbered if they persisted in hounding her.

“Lady Dragonfang, we need tae reward ye for tha service ye have rendered tha crown.” Vanhylde took the lead from her husband who was still affected by the young woman’s bold claim.

Elissa’s cold gaze warmed up as it settled on the High-Queen.

“As we know ye are even richer than us, and ye don’t care about monetary rewards; tha crown will declare ye to be ‘Dwarf Friend.’”

“What?” Etrin reacted.

“Shush, husband; it’s worth it.” Vanhylde said. “She gave us back the surface.”

“Oh, then it means I can joke with her?” Etrin’s eyes gleamed with mischief.

“No.” Brunhilda and her mother said in usinson. They knew Elissa would retaliate with prejudice and it might cause a diplomatic incident with the unknown power behind her.

Etrin grumbled about women repressing his creativity in his beard. But he saw the advantage of creating bonds of friendship with the she-elf. He took control of the conversation as if his wife’s announcement was his idea.

“What say ye, Lady Dragonfang? Will ye be a friend of our race?” The High-King said for all to hear as he stood up from his throne.

“I accept.” Elissa bowed her head in appreciation. “I like what I’ve seen so far: Dwarves are strong, hardy and dependable.” Elissa praised them, it was her heartfelt feelings about this race of people she had enjoyed discovering.

Chuckling, Etrin said, “Then so be it, tha Heralds will announce your status in the city and other settlements and ye’ll be added to a really short list, M’Lady.” Thinking that the audience was about done, Etrin was about to dismiss everyone.

Brunhilda prevented him from doing that and whispered to him as she came near him. “Da’ there’s another thing M’Lady Dragonfang came tae do.”

Elissa heard her with her acute superhuman hearing. The King was again intrigued by this and asked what it was about, “Oh, what may it be?”

“I came to open relations between Aryther and Nirnyahr, I am in need of developing my land on the surface.” The young woman said simply.

Etrin realized something, weeks ago the event that shook the planet may have been caused by this she-elf and asked her bluntly, “M’Lady are ye tha one who caused tha ley lines’ disturbance on tha surface?”

“Indeed, I took control of the Major Nexus and other minor ones located at the center of Aryther, the entire lake and surrounding lands are under my control in my pocket realm. That is why I call myself ‘Lady of Aryther’ your Majesty.” Elissa’s smug face expressed her satisfaction at this revelation.

Everyone in the room stood still and understood the implications of Elissa’s claim. She was a ruler in her own right and deserved their respect, but she would have to win it first.

“Ah see, so ye are a fellow ruler. This changes everything.” Etrin sat and leaned on his throne, his expression showing that he became thoughtful of the situation that landed on his lap like a hot poker wielded by a newbie blacksmith.

“How so?” Elissa asked, it was simple to her; she gave them money and they built things for her.

“Are ye looking tae hire our expertise?” Etrin finally understood.

Elissa nodded. “That’s my goal, your Majesty. To create infrastructure, for your workers to teach my people and maybe give you access to the numerous resources and goods that I plan to market; like fish and alchemical ingredients.”

The ministers’ greedy eyes began to gleam as that information filtered to them, not only had the she-elf closed the mountain pass for them and destroyed the monsters infesting it but she gave them a way to expand and thrive.

“Dis is a rather good offer. Would ye be amenable to letting a settlement of me people in?” The king asked.

Elissa thought long about that, “There would be conditions to such a thing, such as a share of the taxes and to not over fish the lake and respect nature. I would like my land to stay as pristine as possible.”

The audience with the king devolved into a negotiation that would have made Malicia proud, Elissa was not giving an inch and Brunhilda saw a different side of her friend that made her nickname the she-elf: the Shark.

 

---

 

Nirnyahr, Evening

 

“Ah’m really surprised, Elissa.” Brunhilda said as she walked into the city with her friend that was wearing her Nightscale armor with her Moonblade Ghostwalker at her hip.

They were in the tavern and inn district, apparently Brunhilda had already gathered people for her that could help her and her people. It seems that the princess was a member of a club of repressed dwarven maidens who wanted to prove that they could also do the work of men; not feminists, no.

But Dwarf society is a traditionalist one and fighting for their right to be different and not give into stereotypes of their roles is their goal. Most dwarven clans focused on one or two kinds of crafting, such as blacksmithing, jewelry, engineering, or masonry. Dwarves strove to avoid overspecialization by sending some of their youths to other clans to serve as apprentices, which also helped to foster racial unity. Because of their longevity, these apprenticeships might last decades.

However apprenticeships for dwarven girls weren't easy to get as some of the males were dismissive of them and expected them to choose between being an artist, alchemist, seamstress or cook.

“About what?” Elissa asked as she looked at the surprisingly modern signs with glowing names of every color.

“Ya being so used tae diplomacy, ah expected ye tae take yer sword and demand things at sword point.” Brunhilda said honestly. It caused Elissa to stop and look down her nose at the dwarven princess.

“Hilda, I am not so barbaric.” Elissa harrumphed and took her friend’s arm and walked toward the Dancing Lass inn. It had a sign with bed on it and an anvil and hammer.

“Yah, ah noticed.” The princess smirked, needling Elissa had become a pastime for Brunhilda, the she-elf was easy to tease.

Elissa and Brunhilda entered through the well maintained door, on the ground floor there was a tavern with filled with young and older ladies discussing or listening to the minstrel. The Dancing Lass inn was an establishment that catered to young dwarven ladies in search of a new home, it was owned by Princess Brunhilda who helped some of them get back on their feet. There were jobs to be had from them as there were billboards with jobs available on them.

Brunhilda took the lead and walked to the barmaid, a greying dwarf lady with glasses. She was cleaning the mugs while listening to the story of a young girl who clearly was some sort of Librarian.

“Hilda, ye here?!” The old barmaid was surprised to see the young owner.

Giggling, Brunhilda said, “Aye Tannis, ah’m here.”

Elissa kept silent, knowing that she would be seeing a really good show as the ladies spoke. Tannis continued to clean the mug she had in hand and began to speak absently. “Ah thought ye were soldierin’ at this Iron somethin’ outpost? Did yer Da’ pull ye out of it?”

*Oh, so she knows Hilda is the princess, but it seems the other clients don’t.* The young woman noticed as some of the clients continued drinking, reading or were doing some embroidery. Some kept debating about prices or gossiped from what Elissa could hear with her acute hearing.

“Tha ol’ man has been a thorn in me side for a while, ya know.” Brunhilda said dejectedly.

“In me time, tha men forced us women to hide with da kids in fortresses tae go warrin’ but we had tae defend tha olds and tha kids. They conveniently forgot dat we are just as capable tae kill and fight.”

“Dat’s right, Tannis!” A nearby customers shouted after emptying her mug.

“We all ken!” Another said. She was two tables away.

Tannis nodded at that. “If ya kinna go soldierin’ ye can go adventurin’ yah?” Tannis winked at the princess who brightened at that. The old barmaid was known to offer simple solutions to problems and was well liked for it.

Some individuals became adventurers for fame, others for money. Some sought revenge, while others laid down their lives in defense of their lieges, their families, their beliefs, or the land itself. As most lands were perilous and full of brigands and monsters, most people started their careers as adventurers by dealing with these dangers to their hometowns.

Though, not all adventurers were renowned enough or highly capable individuals to deal with monsters or villains, and as such most adventurers (usually those starting their careers) had to accept not so-successful jobs to earn for a living. Such jobs included being hired as bodyguards, caravan guards, or "drawn-dagger" agents (the polite term for a spy, hired killer, or outside-the-law facilitator, usually for a wealthy patron or a guild).

Brunhilda looked at Elissa and somehow a plan was forming in her mind; the redhead recognized that mischievous smile on the dwarf princess’ face and didn’t like it one bit.

“Ah sure ken do dat!” Brunhilda clapped her gauntleted hands.

Elissa shook her head there was something fishy going on there. Tannis looked behind the princess and asked the question that had been burning her lips since the two entered the inn. “Hmm, who is tha she-elf behind ya? She’s tall for a sun-elf and too muscular, is she slumming it?”

Tannis looked hard at the she-elf, Sun-Elves had a really bad reputation in the Yggdrasil network of worlds. Brunhilda scratched behind her head, she didn’t want to cause a commotion; Elissa’s status had been hollered all afternoon in the plazas of the capital and dwarves were curious by nature and would swamp them with questions.

“Nah, she’s alright, Tannis; Elissa is me friend. She ain’t like those prissy sun-elves from Alfheim.” The princess said, swatting Elissa’s ass; the young woman pinched her cheek for it. Brunhilda giggled at that, it was always a pleasure to play rough.

Tannis looked at the two and focused her gaze on the princess. “Oh she ain’t from dat planet?”

Elissa didn’t appreciate this old lady ignored her and said, “No, Mistress Tannis. I come from a far away world, called Phantasia.” Elissa said loudly.

She put much strength into her voice as she spoke, wanting to appear commanding and serious. Tannis and her gazed at each other, a duel of wills happened between them. Neither of them conceded, only that Tannis smiled at Elissa who smiled back and said, “You’re a tough old bat, huh?”

“Yer not so bad yerself, she-elf.” Tannis grinned and nodded at Elissa.

The entire tavern had gone silent as the two had their duel of will and when the two acknowledged each other everything went back to normal. Brunhilda’s heart was hammering in her chest, she had her hand on her breastplate when she said, “Ah almost thought that ye were about tae fight here, don’t do dis tae my fragile heart you two!”

“There’s nothing fragile in you.” Elissa said rolling her eyes.

Tannis shook her head, “Ah agree with dat.”

“Ah hate ye two.” The princess grumbled.

Elissa patted her height challenged friend’s head.

“Yer usual room is ready, and yer friends are already waitin’ for ye. Now git.” Tannis shouted as she threw her thumb behind her and looked at them to make the two leave the ground level tavern.

That’s how Elissa and Brunhilda found themselves on the first floor of the Dancing Lass Inn facing the most luxurious inn’s room. When Brunhilda opened the door, inside there was a round table with five dwarven maidens in different states of inebriety or eating. There was only one who was watching the train wreck that were her friends, an orange haired female dwarf in hunting garbs.

Turning her head, the orange haired huntress saw Brunhilda and Elissa enter and got out of her chair and went to them.

“Asta, what happened?” Brunhilda’s voice became harsh, making the huntress wince.

The one named Asta closed her eyes and then rubbed her temples, she began her tale. “Evenin’ Hilda, well… let’s say Sizalda’s engagement was broken by her family and her sister got tae marry tha guy she liked. Tha girls are drinkin’ in support for her.”

Brunhilda swore, “Damnation, it couldn’t happen any other day?”

Deciding to be helpful, Elissa put a hand on the princess left pauldron and said, “Hilda, maybe I can flush the alcohol from their body with my healing magic. I learned how to.”

Hilda’s disappointed expression melted to let an evil smile appear. “Are they goin’ tae puke a lot?”

“Of course, my friend.” Elissa answered without expression, but the huntress and the princess could see her eyes shining with evil intent to get a good laugh.

“Do it! Dis is a professional meetin’ they shouldn’t have done it!” Brunhilda sealed her friends’ fate.

For an hour, Elissa took her time to help Brunhilda’s friends get the alcohol out of their system by making them puke in the toilet, as she was generous the redhead held their hair behind them as a true friend would. It made her not too hated as most of the young women were being sobered up. After this bit of chaos was resolved and that Brunhilda had disappeared the alcohol and replaced it with water bottles, the meeting began.

“Good evening, ladies. I am Elissa Dragonfang of House Dragonfang, I am here today because Princess Brunhilda Brightforge recommended you to me. However the spectacle I just had the dishonor to witness made me leery of offering you a position in the guild I am about to create.”

The dwarf maidens lowered their heads in shame at that, they even recognized the name of the new ‘Dwarf Friend’ that had been announced all afternoon today.

“However, I am a merciful person. I will give you another chance, but first I would like you to introduce yourselves.”

Hope shined in their eyes at that, only the ginger huntress stayed stoic, to Elissa she seemed to be the most mature of the lot. Brunhilda sat at the table, saying nothing, she knew that everything was Elissa’s show at this point.

A brown haired bespectacled beauty in black overalls, leather gloves and boots stood up and was the first to speak, “Me name is Sizalda Nightaxe of clan Nightaxe, a crafter, and ah’m thirty-three years old. Ah’m sorry for what happened, me friends only wanted tae support me through what happened in me family hall today. Ah don’t want tae deprive them of tha chance tae join ye M’Lady, so ah’ll leave.”

Elissa watched her take her things and go for the door, but an ice wall blocked it. Sizalda looked askance at the she-elf and was about to speak when Elissa interrupted her. “Go back to your seat, you don’t have to do any noble sacrifices today. Didn’t I say that I am giving you all another chance?” The redhead tilted her head, her eyes colder than before.

The young dame was about to something, “Ah-”

“Sizalda go sit back on yer chair, she’s serious.” But Brunhilda intervened before her friend angered Elissa.

She returned to sit between the twin blonde women who patted her head and shoulder, only the huntress dared to speak after that.

“Me name is Astagith Redbane, of clan Redbane; ah’m a huntress and ah’m thirty-two years old.” She looked leaner than the rest of them and more athletic, the war paint on her tanned face were two vertical lines that strangely looked like claws. Astagith had a flamboyant orange long hair styled in a ponytail and she wore an armor made leather, bones and metal that was like dull mithril.

Elissa looked at the spear that was leaning on the white walls of the room and the hands of the huntress, confirming that indeed it was hers. The redhead smiled at Asta and nodded, the huntress reciprocated and knew that she had it in the bag.

“Who else? I don’t bite, come on.” Elissa said as she leaned against the wall facing the table.

One of the twins stood up and began to say, “Hum, ah’m Nabideth Dragonguard of clan Dragonguard, ah’m a warrior, my specialty is the sword and shield. Ah’m thirty-five years old.” her voice a gentle purr and the slight smile she gave made Elissa think she was flirting with her.

She was blonde with long wavy hair and powerfully built. She and her sister wore silver armor that made Elissa think of them as would-be valkyries; their appearance was clean, the hallmark of unblooded warriors.

“Nice, we may have to see if we can spar one day.” Elissa said in appreciation.

“She’s a good shieldmaiden, Elissa.” Brunhilda informed her friend. “She just needs more experience.” The only brake on this has been the Dragonguard clan who didn’t want to risk their prized daughters.

“We will see that she gets it.” Elissa looked at the twin that hadn't spoken yet. “And you, what is your name?”

“Ah’m Sindanelyn Dragonguard and hum ah am a warrior as well as a blacksmith, ah’m thirty-five years old, same as me twin said before and umm...”

“Calm down, no one is going to eat you.” Elissa joked.

“Sorry, ah dinna like tae speak too much. Cough, well ah wanted tae say dat me specialty is tha magic crossbow. Created me weapon meself!” Sindanelyn smiled, she was proud of her work.

Elissa looked at Brunhilda who just said, “She’s a weapons developer, good with magix. Smarter than Nabi.”

“Oy!” Nabideth yelled, she slapped the table with her hands while looking outraged.

“Who always picks a fight when she shouldn't?” Brunhilda snorted as she said this derisively.

Nabideth had nothing to say and stewed in her anger while glaring at Brunhilda who smiled mockingly at her. Elissa loved the dynamics already, seeing that everyone knew each other for a long time, what interested her the most though was to know about Sindanelyn, a weapon developer.

“Sin, can I call you Sin?” Elissa asked amicably, a smile appearing on her gorgeous face.

“Ye can, M’Lady.” The blonde blacksmith nodded at her.

To Sindanelyn speaking with someone of such renown and being called by her nickname like this was fascinating and she felt a bit like fangirl. It was also the first time someone didn’t denigrate her for being female and spit on her profession. Elissa walked to the table, put her hands on it and leaned forward; her eyes looked directly into Sindanelyn’s.

“What would happen if I gave you enough money and resources to develop the most powerful magical weapon that you could?” The redhead said.

This was the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to Sindanelyn. “M’Lady ah would gladly enter yer service for me entire life.”

Sindanelyn’s eyes shone with anticipation and all the little diagrams of weapons she had to shelve because she didn’t have enough funds came to her mind. Brewing in her brain were the most lethal weapons she could think of, Sindanelyn Dragonguard’s mind was already in the future.

“Then I believe that you are in.” Elissa said.

The young woman’s eyes fell on Sizalda who tried to avert her gaze but found herself unable to look away as she was like a deer caught in the headlights, “I didn’t forget about you Nightaxe, you shouldn’t pine for a guy who didn’t fight the breaking of your engagement. Seriously, if you mattered to him he would be there with you. Maybe going away for a while will do you some good.”

“Aye?” The brown haired dwarf didn’t know what to say, she thought her love life over. Male Dwarves didn’t seem to like girls who could do their own fighting or crafting.

“You are a crafter, and I am sure that you are good in a fight or you wouldn’t be friends with Hilda. Get outta this listless state you find yourself in. You are young, you’ll find someone better and who will see how awesome you are.” Elissa tried to instill some self-respect in the girl.

“She’s kinda right.” Astagith raised her mug of water.

“Yah, if he kinna see what kinda gem he had, dat dwarf doesn’t deserve yer tears sista.”

Elissa smiled evilly, she was certainly manipulative but it seemed that her using poor Sizalda’s situation to cement her hold on this dwarven sisterhood was going fine. Brunhilda was already aware of what her new friend was doing but let it happen, since it went along with her own goals after all: getting out from under her father’s thumb.

“Me thinks Sizalda will work well with Sin.” Brunhilda thumped on the table as she looked at the blonde and brown haired dwarf maidens.

Elissa giggled, it was good to have friends who think on their feet, “Hilda, no wonder we are such good friends. We think alike, dear.”

A short black haired and blue eyed dwarf with black overalls and some black stains on her face looked at Elissa in askance. She had a muscular upper body and a stubborn frown on her face.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten about you, can you introduce yourself?” Elissa asked.

The black haired dwarf snorted and then began her introduction. “Good save, she-elf. Me name is Narsenelyn Jadegrip, of clan Jadegrip; ah’m a miner as you can see, good with a pickaxe.”

Elissa wasn’t fooled by the rustic look of this girl, she seemed to be of a good sort. She reminded the redhead of Yastan, he didn’t speak a lot but when he trusted you, you had a friend for life. Narsenelyn oozed confidence and efficiency too.

“I am interested, what are your abilities?” The two women looked at each other, gauging each others character.

Narsenelyn said, “Ah know magix to detect ore, how tae make tunnels with me earth magix too.”

“You are an earth bender!” Elissa gasped in surprise. Her head turned to Brunhilda who smiled and was proud of how she had an eye for people. “How, is she not one of the most important people in this city? She can fight and mine, damn it! She would be an excellent abjurer!”

“Dat’s just it, ah’m a girl.” Narsenelyn said sadly.

Elissa shook her head, “Their loss, my gain. Girls you are all hired, if you can help me develop my land between adventuring you’ll have your place in Aryther.”

“Movin’ from the city, ain’t dat dangerous?” Sizalda said in a worried tone.

She had never been outside of Nirnyahr or seen the real sky; there were tales about beast tides and monsters so dangerous that they forced the dwarven civilization underground.

“Oh, haven’t you heard? I got a deal with the High-King, he will open a settlement in my Pocket Realm. It's safe there. There’s going to be a highly regulated teleporter of my own making to Aryther, none of that puking teleportation aftereffect will happen though.” Elissa scowled at Brunhilda who didn’t look repentant.

The dwarven princess slapped her breastplate and laughed like a madwoman, the rest of her friends looked at her and knew that she must have pranked the she-elf hard.

“Girls, I want you to think of a name for our Guild. We are going to register it in this city but we ain’t going to operate much in the Underdark.” Elissa left the name in their hands, she was very bad at it.

In some cities, those who hunted monsters and delved into dungeons banded together to form adventurers guilds. These guilds functioned as employment agencies for members and offered additional services, such as search parties for missing adventuring groups. However, Elissa looked at the long term; her goal would be to tame the surface of Svartalfheim.

Nabideth smirked and stood from her seat. “Dis is tha start of tha Sisterhood.”

 

---

 

It was decided that the guild would be called the Sisterhood of Aryther and for the next three days, Elissa and Brunhilda had prepared to meet each clan of their members to free them from any responsibilities they might have. Some fathers weren’t keen on letting their daughter go and a lot of words were exchanged, some duels were fought and some male egos ruffled; but Elissa didn’t have to use the royal family’s power to force the issues. Some of the mothers of the members of her sisterhood had been reasonable and forced their husbands to see the light and let their precious little angels spread their wings.

High-Queen Vanhylde took advantage of that fact to stop her husband’s plan to marry off their eldest daughter to one of his idiot generals of the dwarven army buddies. Such things would not be done while she still breathed, reminding him of who was the true ruler by birth and that some decisions he could not make alone. In the forty-fourth day of her presence on Svartalfheim Elissa saw the Queen put the screw on her husband while at court.

This was before Elissa and the sisterhood were to leave Nirnyahr, the court was assembled to say farewell to the Lady Dragonfang and hammer out some more concession with her.

“Ah have a task for me daughter, Brunhilda come here.” The High-Queen looked regal in her red dress and jewelled hairstyle that consisted of gems with golden threads added to her braided updo.

Everything was going as expected, though a life would be lost in the act the mother and daughter would have to play. It didn’t sadden Brunhilda at all, she was beyond caring at this point. Her face was a mask of neutrality, she wore a red dress that allowed more freedom of movement but had the disadvantage of showing a lot of skin and letting the disgusting gazes of some old dwarves that had no place letting their eyes wander.

“Yes Ma’.” Brunhilda walked forward and then faced her parents.

Vanhylde nodded primly. “Ye’re tae accompany M’Lady Dragonfang tae Aryther with her party of like minded associates, ye’ll be tha eyes of tha realm and tha ambassador of tha royal family.”

Shock rolled through the room at the High-Queen’s arrangement, she didn’t show it on her face but she was ecstatic that this got a rise out of them. The most vocal against that idea where the military friends of her husband, Etrin. Him particularly.

Etrin rose from his throne, he wore his golden armor and under it you could see the blue silk tunic and black pants that gave him a dashing figure; all of that marred by his face looking as if he had swallowed some lemons. “What?! Nae, Vanhylde ye kinna send our daughter on tha surface!” He spluttered.

As for Elissa, she wanted to Sparta the King at this moment. But Vanhylde speared her with her gaze and shook her head imperceptibly and told her not to intervene. The High-Queen’s eyes focused on her husband yet again.

Vanhylde mock-frowned. “Why shouldn’t I? Or is it because ye have other plans, hmm?”

Etrin felt that something was amiss, he quickly realized that his wife may be onto him and if that’s the case then he was fucked; she might take away his governing power. The Queen had more supporters than him in the military faction. She controlled the cities and the capital Ley lines, most domestic issues were handled by her. She had been content to leave the military and logistic affairs to him after all.

The High-King decided to put his cards on the table and blurted out, “Ah’ve decided tae give her hand in marriage tae General Copperbane.”

The youngest of the military men in silver armor and white cape smiled at the princess who stayed stoic at this news. She knew he had decided to marry her off, but to give her hand to Coppersnake? That dwarf was no warrior, more of a paper tiger whose sole talent laid in logistics and history; rumour had it that he was also the kind of dwarf to go whoring, carousing and may have multiple bastards out in the lower-city!

Vanhylde didn’t have to hide her anger about that. “Ye dare?!” Sparkles of light crackled around Nirnyahr’s sorceress.

Etrin stepped back under his Queen’s glare, he thought that he could pull it off.

“Da’ ah thought ah would be tha one to decide who ah marry?” Brunhilda’s cold voice cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter.

Etrin made his second mistake of the day, he rolled his eyes and completely waved away his daughter’s concerns.

“Grow up, Hilda.” He said, dismissively.

Around Elissa, cold and lightning spread as she leaked her magic but another warning from Vanhylde kept her in check. The courtiers who saw that stepped back more to the walls and columns of the throne room.

“Ah see.” Brunhilda said. Just that should have alarmed Etrin. The princess tone was full of disappointment in her father.

Opening her mouth, Brunhilda hollered in the throne room, “General Copperbane, ah won’t be married tae a coward who uses me father tae do somethin’ that any self-respectin’ dwarf should ask tae the one he want tae wed. Ah ask an honor duel!”

The court fell silent again, Elissa could see the Copperbane guy become red with fury, he tried to advance but was being held back by his friends. “Girl, take it back!” He shouted rabidly.

Brunhilda’s giggle was mocking and irreverent. “Ah, now ah’m a girl! Come here, coward ah’ll show who ye are under that cotton armor of yers.”

Elissa liked where this was going, she was keenly aware of Brunhilda’s strength and her fighting prowess after sparring with her.

“Ye have it, daughter. Where should we have tha fightin’?” Vanhylde asked her daughter.

“Here, of course.” Brunhilda said and she turned to Elissa who understood what she wanted, from her secondary spatial ring she took the dwarf princess’ warhammer and threw it at her.

Brunhilda caught her weapon and whipped her head toward her would be suitor, a predatory smile on her face.

“Nae you can’t.” Etrin tried to say, but he underestimated his daughter.

He had always thought that she was play fighting and was too stubborn to assume her given place in society. But seeing that she had the same steel core as her mother, and this facet of her personality that was unwavering even before him… he may have made an enemy of her forever. Etrin looked at his wife whose eyes promised fire and brimstone later.

“Ah just called an honor duel in tha center of power of tha dwarven court. Ya can’t tell me nae, father. Ya’d be spittin’ on millenia of dwarven tradition and even ye can’t change racial laws.” Brunhilda spat.

Etrin now realized that he had truly done it now, for trying to grab more power he may have lost what truly mattered in the end.

Brunhilda’s hammer sang as she made it move and put it on her shoulder, her body was coiled in preparation waiting for Copperbane to move. “C’mere coward, or does facin’ a worthy foe for tha first time made ye wet yer undies?” She taunted.

It was known that Copperbane had never fought in a duel that he didn’t think he could win, however, this adversary of his right now was someone he considered a ‘girl’ and she wore no armor, just a dress. He underestimated Brunhilda, erasing from his memories the one year she spent in a frontier settlement training under one of the most deadly dwarves of the realm.

“Let me fight, unhand me.” Copperbane disentangled himself from the other generals and unsheathed his sword.

“Dis will be no fight, Coppersnake. Today will be yer execution.” Brunhilda used the nickname everyone had been calling her foe since he had built his reputation. For Dwarves, honor mattered, but some were still thinking that maybe appearance did too.

Brufog Copperbane was one of those dwarves who preferred to drink away their problems and grab for power thinking that it will fill this void in them and make them feel better.

“Cocky lil’ shit.” Copperbane charged raising his sword, and he was about to brain the girl when she flowed out of his grasp and tripped him before her hammer fell on his head.

CRUNCH.

“Like ah said, dis is no fight, weakling.” Brunhilda spat on his body and turned to her father. “And dis is the kind of dwarf ye go hunt with? They have grown too fat and slow, father.”

Etrin wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, could it be that his daughter was skilled? He looked at Vanhylde who had a brutal expression of satisfaction on her face as she said, “One less snake in the basket.” The High-Queen laughed at her own joke.

This event forever changed the balance of power in the court and the reputation of Princess Brunhilda who was known as a girl prone to tantrums to that of a warrior. She would be the shining example that dwarven women could be more than homemakers and artists.

 

---

 

22nd of Felsite, Afternoon
Iron Fang Settlement
Border Control, Mountain Pass

 

The Dwarves were a highly effective and professional people. They had already placed defenses on the mountain pass and created a tunnel and checkpoints through the granite wall Elissa had transmuted. A heavy dark metal door barred the entrance of the pass, the wall had been polished, stairs and two watchtowers were in place to see if anyone or any forces were about to arrive from the front or back.

Through Elissa’s enhanced mage sight she could see the layered structural defenses that turned this granite wall into something akin to titanium in nature. Even though she had transmuted it, another alchemist worked on what she had built. It was decent work.

Following her, her party of dwarven maidens wore their disparate armors: cloth, leather or heavy plate. Reinatiel further buffed the party with standard reinforcement spells to help in their travels, a weight reduction spell for their armor, wind step for their movement speed, and Elissa further reinforced them by casting guidance through her Dragontooth dagger.

Elissa knew that they would get ambushed through this return trip, she had asked High-Queen Vanhylde about creating a teleportation circle, but she had refused saying that they just didn’t trust each other enough for that. In hindsight, Elissa knew she was right. So the best they could do now was soldier on to somewhere where they would be able to carve a circle and reach Aryther.

The heavy metal door’s mechanical parts grinded lightly as the border guards opened it. Through guidance, Elissa took out her magic map and interacted with it. Zooming in on her position she was analyzing possible ambush points; three kilometers away from the mountain pass here was the Forbidden forest where it reached for the mountain chain, seeking to swallow it up. To her, Siodhanth was playing the long game, wanting to use her power over her cursed forest to surround the dwarf’s land.

*I’m not going there.* She told herself. *Going south is the best bet and there are isolated areas and ruins where I will be able to find shelter and make a circle and not offend anyone.*

If it was her from before being ambushed by dark elves, Elissa wouldn’t have cared and gone directly to the forbidden forest or drawn a circle in the mountains. She liked the idea of doing it easy, *Nevertheless, nothing is ever easy.*

“Let’s go.” Elissa told her guild members.

They followed her in silence, Brunhilda being the toughest decided to protect the rear; the mages were before her while all the heavy defenders were before them. The pseudodragons flew out of the gate, regaining their giant forms and rising into the sky. Elissa making them scout ahead and taking advantage of their familiar vision.

As they reached the outside Elissa was now on her guard, she knew how dragons thought; certainly she was used to the Metallic counterparts of the chromatics. They were prideful and gluttonous killing machines. They really liked to reproduce, they could cross-breed with virtually any other creature, creating half-dragons.

This fire dragoness, Siodhanth wouldn't take it lying down that Elissa defeated her forces. She had no illusion in believing that she had stayed anonymous with the fight she had given to erase that beast tide. No, the fire dragoness was waiting for her, and Elissa was sure that she had hidden her magical signature too.

Elissa stopped as they were three hundred meters from the gates that were now closed. Turning to Brunhilda and Nabideth, the redhead motioned for them to come to her. “I think we are going to be ambushed.”

“Eh, what for?” Brunhilda asked.

“The dragon?” Astagith understood, she was used to confronting Siodhanth’s creatures.

Elissa nodded. “Yeah, be on your guard and spread the word. We keep our weapons in hands as we travel south.”

Narsenelyn took her pickaxe, The Dragonguard twins took their respectives weapons, Sizalda readied her array of magical tools and Astagith had her wyvern bone spear. They walked through the tundra, ready for anything to happen. Elissa used her enhanced mage sight through her dragons in the sky. Nothing seemed to happen as the day passed, the Sisterhood’s luck seemed to hold until Elissa felt a shifting through the aether around them as they were ten kilometers away from the Lesay mountains.

The shifting turned into a full blown hole in the fabric of space and time and Elissa gritted her teeth. She recognized the signature of the beings that appeared one kilometer in the direction they had attempted to reach.

“Stop.” Elissa wasn’t cold, but the others seemed to be in varying degree of unease caused by the tundra’s climate.

“Is there something wrong?” Sindanelyn asked, her magical crossbow in her arms. She looked around them in alarm.

“Dark Elves.” Elissa pointed her finger south where lot of skinny trees without leaves could be found.

“Ah heard there’s still a price on yer head, M’Lady.” Nabideth said.

It was a dishonorable thing to do to someone of the Lady’s station; the dark elves of Thafnoris should have realized that keeping the contract up was foolhardy. The longer it was up, the crueller the retaliation against their city’s guild and the house that made the contract would be.

“We could mow them down, Elissa.” Brunhilda was confident, her warhammer was hungry for more blood.

Elissa wanted to charge ahead too, but she examined their options and what she would have done in this situation. Experience from fighting against the dark elves had shown her that they were prone to treacheries and ambushes. Matriarch Idami taught her that, it was important to be at least three steps ahead of her opponents, whatever their powers may be.

There were at least three mages in the ambushing force and ten more who seemed to be elves of arms. This enhanced mage sight was a boon, but it taxed her greatly through her familiar bond.

“No, I expect them to be bait. Another force will surround us while we fight them. That’s how I would do it.” Elissa looked at the lay of the land through Rilo and Aghri’s eyes, the tundra was arid and the cold piercing for her friends. There wasn't much cover to hide too.

“What are we goin’ tae do?” Sizalda asked worriedly.

However the cold and focused mien of Lady Dragonfang calmed her down. Elissa’s mind was coming up with plans; this was going to be about leaving traps behind, while they got wiser of the deception and left to another egress point.

She answered to Sizalda, “Ambush them back, but I fear that we have to go back from where we came from. And chance going around the forbidden forest.”

There was the dragon there, everyone was aware of that. Needless to say, they were no cowards, whatever may come.

“What about dem’ magic circles ye spoke about?” Narsenelyn asked trying to think outside the box.

Elissa shook her head. “They are vulnerable if left alone for someone skilled in conjuration to find. They could enter Aryther and create chaos, I simply cannot risk it.”

If she were advanced enough in her alchemy, Elissa would have been able to produce aether fluid; those elixirs would have permitted them to teleport without leaving a trace.

*I promise to learn much more when I get back on Earth, teacher Bridgeburn knows a lot of handy tricks.* The redhead thought.

Elissa called Gungnir to her hand and looked at her companion. Fenirael had her shield and mace in hand ready to fight, all she needed was a target. The lady dwarves looked at the weapon with admiration, this was obviously a spear of dwarven make; it literally hummed with power.

Narsenelyn wasn’t impressed, she just looked toward where the supposed ambushers where. “Eh, we ambush them back, diminish their numbers and kill them all. Simple.”

“I like your plan, simple but effective.” Elissa thought that the earth bender was more than just smart, her silence just showed that she wasn’t used to speaking in public too much.

The Sisterhood retreated back toward the Lesay mountains, Elissa left a payload of traps in a wide net; freezing mines and lightning shock mines or the Kamaitachi air mines that consisted of high powered wind blades that would tear their targets to pieces. Those traps were difficult to detect as they were camouflaged by the terrain and the natural flow of mana.

Elissa used her dragons and herself to leave the pattern of the spells behind her as she advanced toward the mountains. She wasn’t surprised when she felt the same shifting in the mana and the elves were there in plain view.

Rilo used her breath attack in a dispersal pattern and rained down white lightning on them. They had obviously prepared for such and a magic shield absorbed most of the attack, however, Elissa wouldn’t leave it at that and threw Gungnir at the mage who found himself with a spear blade through his head. The magic shield was thin and the godly spear was able to pierce through fortifications.

A rain of arrows fell from the sky, a wyvern rider in the sky was the source. Aghri engaged the other draconic lizard talons and claws first.

Fenirael and Elissa charged the dark elves who thought to surprise them, Reinatiel lobbed black fire missiles at their vanguard; she targeted vital places like their faces or their weapon hands. Sindanelyn was in position to fire magical quarrels, she dubbed mage killers, at the mages. They were enchanted with a curse that ate into magical wards and fed off the magic user’s core. It was a nasty piece of work. She hit the support mage who tried to put another magical and kinetic shield around her team members.

She was struck in the chest and fell on the ground, dying. Elissa quickly found herself facing the heavy armored warrior using Inshek, her magical aura channeled around her body multiplying her strength, toughness and speed; the redhead focused her mana through her sword and simply decapitated him as she used the monomolecular ability on her blade. Elissa held his body in her hand and raised it a foot in the air and threw it at the rogue looking elf who avoided it, but was shield bashed by Fenirael who then crushed his side with her mace and demonic strength.

The noise of bones being broken was prevalent, Elissa simply threw a freezing beam at the last warrior and Nabideth finished him by shattering him by throwing her shield at the ice sculpture he had become.

Meanwhile, Rilo wanted to help her mate in defeating the wyvern rider but he told her to take care of the enemies on the ground through their link to their mistress. The black dragoness looked behind her mistress’ companions and could already see that the rest of the ambush force was going through their traps.

Elissa was quickly alerted, she took the bodies of the dead and killed the dying taking their bodies too. “For the loot.” She said simply as Nabideth looked at her weirdly.

*And food for my pseudodragons.* She thought evilly.

The young woman rallied her friends and they went in the direction of the forbidden forest. They could certainly take shelter in the mountain pass, but something told Elissa that it would be a mistake. As usual Elissa left some presents behind in the form of magical mines and mixed it up with nasty flesh-eating curses, she pushed the support members of her guild before her while the fighters guarded the rear.

Aghri finally won his fight against the wyvern and devoured its rider, a female dark elf. They ran, but were still pursued by the strongest members of the party that followed them. To Elissa they looked like adventurers, the sellsword kind. They tried to take her familiars out of the sky but Elissa dedicated a part of her will into guiding Rilo and Aghri into adopting evading maneuvers and protected them with magical shields.

Through Aghri’s eyes she saw that there were seven dark elves left, but it seemed that the mines weren't working on them anymore. They simply blasted magic before them to activate them. It was when they were one kilometer away from the forbidden forest that Elissa stopped, she didn’t dare enter this death trap. The purple trees and palpable humidity wasn't inviting at all.

“This is where we hold them, Elissa?” Brunhilda asked.

Elissa stored Gungnir and unsheathed Gram, it glowed blue; the enchantment with the elemental blast was still imprinted on it. She scowled as she saw the dark elves coming into view. Some were in armor or in mage robes looking a bit harried by their chase. Some still huffing and puffing or wounded or frostbitten.

Elissa answered. “Yeah, Hilda, Feni, Nabi you with me?” She adopted a combat stance and resolved to use the wind cutter technique.

All around her, Elissa heard the voice of acknowledgment of her new friends.

“Yah M’Lady.”

“Of course!”

She sheathed her sword in the sword belt she materialized, her hand on the grip.

“Rei and Sin target them, take from them everything when they attack!”

Reinatiel and Sindanelyn just gave a grim nod as they prepared their spell and special ammunition.

“Asta, kill them all when you can but help defend the support gals. Narsy, earth shield? Temporary cover, please?” Elissa asked the huntress who suddenly disappeared from her field of view. It was just so sudden that Elissa was mystified by it.

“Sure M’Lady.” She heard around her, not being able to pinpoint from where exactly.

*Not only is she a huntress but she is also some sort of shinobi.* This was weird to Elissa.

Narsenelyn’s magic made an earthen barricade surround Reinatiel, Sizalda and Sindanelyn. They were already targeting the mages.

“Lady Dragonfang, give up and surrender and lay down your weapons!” A male voice spoke in Elvish.

“Girls, this is where we fight! This is where they die!” Elissa said as she straightened her helmet. Her rallying cry reverbatting through the dwarven maidens.

The dark elf mage who seemed to be the leader shouted, “Kill the dwarves, take the sun-elf alive!” He shook his head, he didn’t expect the sun-elf to be this barbaric.

She began to send a spell chain at the apparent leader, first wind blades to test his defenses and she saw that he had a magic shield; then Elissa sent a thunder spell toward him and his teammates. They faltered as the sonic boom reached them and some even fell on their backs, Elissa channeled a lightning sphere spell and threw it at the mage.

The mage negated it by countering it with an earth bullet spell, but it was enough for the redhead to close in on him, she blasted him with a lightning imbued elemental blast that caught him in the face but he disappeared first, teleporting somewhere. Brunhilda was in combat with a templar looking dark elf who could barely take on the savage hits of her warhammer. She killed him in their tenth exchange by breaking his knees then crushing his helmeted head, blood spurting from it.

Reinatiel burned someone to death while her sister cut the second mage in half has she had changed weapon mid-combat, who was also teleported, but without his lower body. Nabideth was sent into the air as her enemy was stronger than her and she had miscalculated his strength, Elissa cushioned her fall with a feather fall spell. Nabideth returned to her opponent and attacked, this time avoiding taking his shield bash head on and swept him off his feet with a tackle to his lower body and stabbed him to death with her sword.

Sindanelyn cursed quarrels struck again and made the dark elves teleport themselves. The fight was done, they had won, there was still one alive and Elissa found herself walking toward him. It all seemed anticlimactic.

“You can’t kill me! My clan would avenge me!” It was a rather young looking dark elf.

He was one of the leftover mages from the ambushing party. Elissa’s dragon familiars landed at her side, looking at the little dark elf, asking themselves if he was as delicious as he smelled.

“I see that you got one of those fancy contingency rings on your finger and a nice spatial ring. Where are you from, boy?” Elissa asked

She lamented the fact that she couldn’t use her new technique taken from Damian on any of those guys. This was a let down, she shook her head at that. *No, Elissa don’t become cocky, remember what happened the last time.*

“From Thafnoris, clan Druldred.” The boy elf looked around him dreading his fate.

A carnivorous smile appeared on Elissa’s face. “I see, tell your Matriarch that I will do to her what I did to the Bhelveth bitch. And that I will enjoy it.”

“You-” Elissa interrupted him as she swiftly cut his finger with the spatial ring and his other arm with two stroke of her swords, to activate the contingency ring. The Druldred boy was swiftly teleported.

“Wow, M’Lady ah hope tae never cross ye.” Nabideth said surprised by Elissa’s savagery.

Elissa sheathed Gram and was about to answer when she felt a disturbance in the local magical field and in the forest. She felt as if something was restraining her and suddenly when she was about to give the orders to retreat a giant fire wall surrounded the forest.

<You have come, she-elf! I was waiting for you.> The woman whose sybillant draconic telepathic speech that startled her appeared as an elf; however Elissa knew that she was a shape-shifted dragon wearing red armour with blood colored hair.