Gilmy shook his head, holding the girl down as she screamed and fought him, a glossy sweat forming across her forehead. “what in the gods is happening here?”“She is transitioning.” Tuviel replied vaguely, gently tuning her fingers along the palm of Astria’s hand, hoping that it may calm her.“transitioning into what?”“I do not know.”“Then how can you be sure what is happening?” Gilmy snarled, masking his confusion with anger.Tuviel glared at the stranger, barely trusting him enough to give a full answer. “Because it happened to me many years ago, the outcome is  different for each child of the gods, we must simply wait.”“Will she die?”“Its a possibility.”“Then how are you so calm?!” he bellowed, “your daughter might die and you are completely careless!”“How dare you!” she

Tuviel took the lead, having taken this journey many times when she was a young woman; but this time it was different, she was running from her own people. The people that had raised her now wanted her dead, all because she fell in love with an elf. Who decided that such a thing was forbidden? Why must it be so? The Deus are partly human, so why could they love whomever they pleased? It didn't seem fair that you could become damned for falling in love, when it was such a human thing to do. She sighed, turning back to look at her daughter, finding herself wondering if she was worth the suffering and loneliness.Astria smiled at her mother when she looked back at her, knowing that all of the trouble they faced was because of her birth, hoping that her mother still loved here despite it all. But she also knew that her mother had moments of weakness where she wished that she hadn't been born, but the half-breed supposed that it was only normal when you face death every day of you

Tarian jumped on a dark brown horse, holding out his hand for the girl as she stared, she had never ridden on a horse, let alone seen one up close."Get on." He ordered as his men all hoisted themselves up onto the others.Astria took his hand, allowing him to lift her onto the horse as she panted, not knowing what would happen to her once they got to their destination. She was more nervous as they rode through the trees than she had ever been her entire life, her eyes wondering back, praying that her mother was alright."Pull up the hood of your cloak." Tarian said suddenly, his eyes locked onto something in the distance.The half-breed obeyed instantly, remembering her promise to listen to his every command, after all; what other choice did she have? She turned her eyes towards the horizon, noticing another set of horses heading straight for them. Taking a deep breath, she wondered if the strangers would help her, free her from her captures. Perhaps if

"Thank you." The white-haired man whispered, slowly moving into a seated position.She nodded, not knowing what to say and she crawled away, noticing another man that had fallen to the stranger's sword on the other side of the tree; knowing that he needed her help. Astria took a moment to look back at the fighting, distraught as she realised that Tarian and his men were losing to the law man. She knew that should they lose she would die, perhaps in an excruciating way, something that the girl did not want.Tarian panted for breath, he had never versed an adversary with such skill, nor did he want to again should he survive. He turned back to look at the small girl as she stared, an idea striking at his mind."Girl!" He shouted. "Use your fire to kill him."The half-breed gasped, he wanted her to kill? She had done that once before to one of his men and she had regretted it, it wasn't pleasant taking another's life, nor did she ever want to do it again. Bu

Astria screamed when he pushed the knife under the nail of her middle finger, the agony unbearable as he slowly cut it off; blood oozing from where the fingernail used to be. She bucked and twisted on the ground as he repeated the process four more times, begging for him to stop; though her cries for mercy were unheard as Tarian watched a smile etched into his face. How could he be so cruel? What could he possibly gain from her anguish?"Please …" She whispered, fighting against the men that held her down."That’s enough, you can let her go now." Tarian ordered, his men complying almost instantly.Tears slipped from the half-breed's eyes as she moved into a seated position on the hard ground, shocked to see the amount of blood that poured from her fingers. Astria watched in silence as some of the fifty men began to walk back towards the large camp, smiles etched into their faces; each one seeing it as though they had won some great battle.  She