Nio’s story
He was falling. His instincts kicked in and he desperately tried to grab the walls of the well. But there was nothing to grab. The interior of the well was smooth and flat. He closed his eyes and waited for the end. But the end did not come. He just kept falling and falling. He could not see anything and the well seemed to have no end.
At first his body pounded against the walls, leaving him with more and more bruises, but after a while the well got wider. Even his fall began to slow. The air was much denser and unusually threatening.
Nio tried not to think about Thea, but his broken heart just couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened, over and over again. He didn't understand. She loved him; he knew she loved him. And yet she killed him. Smiling.
He felt a change in the air and something clawed at his leg. He felt a sharp pain and blood gushed from the newly formed wound. He tried to hit his at
Present time"AND? Who was he?”: Jon asked impatiently.Just as Nio was about to answer, the carriage that drove them to the capital stopped. A young dwarf stepped inside informing them that they had arrived. Nio’s story was cut short. Under cover of darkness, they entered the house and quickly hid in the attic. The young dwarf who drove them here told them to be quiet and wait. They did just that. A few hours later Lara arrived and the plan was set in motion.Nio was hidden in an empty barrel of wine, then driven, rolled, carried, and finally deposited in the basement of the palace. He didn't like this part of the plan. The inside of the barrel smelled horribly and he felt dizzy from the intense smell of wine. All the rolling didn't help either. After all the shaking and carrying stopped, a female dwarf knocked twice on the barrel and opened it. The dwarf, who introduced herself as Ia, showed him once again the bluepri
Nio’s storyNio stared at the gargantuan creature and fear gripped his heart. When he saw his huge hands and claws, he realized that his saviour was also his attacker."Now, now, elf. See? Life is ever so complicated, is it not?”: the creature said almost lazily."You're the one who attacked me, aren't you? But, but why? Why bring me to the brink of death just to save me?”: said Nio, feeling more confused and scared than ever."Ah, I was hungry. And when I felt a fly in the web, I went for it. Since I'm in this hole, hmm, who knows ... One hundred years, five hundred, more ... Time is not something you can keep track of down here. Anyway, I was very, very hungry. And just so you know, you are the one who woke me up. I slept blissfully, then bam, a little tasty elf above me, getting closer and closer.”: the creature responded with a big grin on its face.The monster had two curved black horns on
Present timeShieena sobbed softly. They were sitting in the living room of the safe house and Nio had just finished this part of the story. Shieena tried to imagine life in a dark pit for seven long years, but she couldn't. Her suffering and captivity, it all paled in comparison to Nio’s prison. How he managed to get out of it all without going completely crazy was inconceivable to her. Even Jon had a tear or two rolling down his cheeks. Shieena touched Nio's hand and he smiled at her."It's okay, little Shieena, I'm fine. It was bad, but I'm fine now. I still have my sanity. Most of the time.": he said with a sad smile.Lara was there too. She didn't know the whole story, but the part she had just heard stunned her. This elf was a bomb that could explode at any time. He said he wasn't crazy, but Lara wasn't quite sure. Crazy people don’t always act like crazy. She had to send a message to lady Sif.Meanwhile, i
Nio’s storyOne day, Dem announced in his usual rugged and hoarse voice that Nio was ready for the final step. He understood most of the elements well and Dem had only one more thing to teach him. Synergy. It was the purest and most powerful source of magic. Only those who have the ‘all spark’ could perform such magic. Instead of focusing his magic on one element, Nio had to learn how to focus his magic on all of them. It was also the hardest magic to master.He practiced on his surroundings. He focused first on the fire burning in the corner, and then on the small rock protruding from the wall. Then he added a piece of moss. Then a small worm in the ground. It seemed impossible. It was not. Just extremely difficult. As Dem taught him over and over again, Nio found his centre. And a whole new world opened up to him.He felt different energies in all the things around him, and as he focused more and more, something
Present time"After that, you ran into me and saved me, and soon after we saved Jon, right?": Shieena asked."Yes.": Nio replied."Here's what I don't understand:": Jon said, then continued: "What kind of tornado was that? And how did you recover in the well and in the hospital?”Nio hesitated for a moment, then said: “Mhm, I have no idea how I healed myself. Maybe, while I was unconscious, the body remembered and acted. I'm not sure. As for the tornado, I thought about it a lot. Here's what I think. That light I absorbed; I think it was his spark. Dem’s spark. That's what he wanted to do to me. And when I absorbed his spark, the two sparks reacted to each other and kind of melted together. And in that merger, the elements around me went crazy. That's what I think. I could be right. Or not. But that's the best theory I have. Not to mention that after I absorbed his spark, I felt stronger than ever. I mean m
Jon’s storySouth Malfer is ruled by four lords and each of them is the absolute ruler in his region. All the mines and all the production of arms are in their hands, and every man, in addition to paying the royal tax, must pay taxes and levies to his lord as well. In the region they rule, their word is the law.South Malfer is best known for its weapons production. From iron to steel, every lord in Malfer buys weapons from the four southern lords. Yet, even with huge investments in technology, human weapons cannot be compared to hardened elven silver. And while steel should cut silver without a problem because silver is a soft metal, that’s not the case.Something in the production of hardened silver makes it harder than steel. But the elves keep that secret well.Jon was a young blacksmith from Taras, a village in the south of Malfer, who learned the trade from his father. Most of the time they made ploughs, ho
Present timeAt Shieena's suggestion, Nio sought help from her village shaman. The shaman was a master of death magic and Nio definitely needed to better understand that sinister element.Goblin magic was primarily focused on the elements of earth and death. Earth magic was simple. Stones, earth, rocks, all were easily manipulated and easy to destroy with. Even a first-year student could manipulate a single stone. Focusing his spark on it, reaching it and throwing it. Masters of earth elemental magic could do so much more. They could shape the stones however they wanted, they could create earthquakes or rip out the ground under someone’s feet. A circle of earth sorcerers could even collapse an entire mountain. Earth magic was simple.The magic of death was not so simple. It was the hardest element to mas
Ghraht’s storyHe was bred for the war. His father killed hundreds of their enemies before he himself was killed. His mother was one of the shamans of their tribe. Since he was two years old, he was prepared for carnage. By the time he was seven, he was taller and broader than boys twice his age. And he continued to grow. Ghtraht Del Tei was the most magnificent goblin specimen of the Tei tribe.By the age of nineteen, he had killed dozens of dwarves. Some of them with his bare hands. All the mothers in their tribe desperately wanted him for their son-in-law. Ghtraht’s mother rejected them all. The blood spoke to her long ago; her son was destined for great things. And it was his bride who would lead him to that greatness. Ghtraht didn't mind. He was not interested in marriage. When he turned twenty-four, he challenged his warlord to the cerem