\u201cFocus, Dilmir!\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s all I hear these days<\/em> thought\nDilmir as he got gingerly back to his feet, rubbing the spot on his side where\nIlrin\u2019s sword had nicked him. He absently pushed his hair out of his eyes and\nrose to face Ilrin once again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was nearing\nevening; the two of them had been training for nearly five and a half hours\nalready. Any human would have dropped to the ground from exhaustion long ago, but\nmagic had strange effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The elves had\nonce been very similar to humans when Feylund had first been created. But by\nchance, magic had found them. Magic, by its very essence, changed whatever it\ntouched, altering it in ways far too small for a normal mind to follow. The\nelves, however, had been altered to such an extent that they could control the\nmagic about them, an ability which no other race on Feylund possessed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There were other\nresults of their contact with magic, of course, and one of them was that elves\ncould battle for hours on end without tiring. Their bodies, however, were not\nmeant for such long periods of exertion, but the elves had become a hardened\nrace over the years, capable of taking many a brutal punishment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir retrieved\nhis sword, which Ilrin had knocked to the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAgain,\u201d said\nthe trainer, stepping back from them, his arms folded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir rested\nhis sword easily in front of him, warily watching Ilrin as she considered him.\nIlrin slightly tilted her head to one side, as if considering something, and\nthen, in an instant, leapt at Dilmir. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or so Dilmir\nthought. As he moved to block her blow, she swerved and attacked him from a\ncompletely different direction. Dilmir tried to turn with her, to bring his\nsword back down from its elevated position, but she was too fast. In another\nmoment, he felt the tip of her sword touch his side lightly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDilmir,\u201d said\nthe trainer, stepping forward as Ilrin stepped back, \u201cyou have to be quicker\nwith your feet. Ilrin made that look easy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t all\nthat easy,\u201d said Ilrin. \u201cYou\u2019re just focusing on your sword too much. You need\nto think about where you are instead. Always be moving out of the way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir grinned\nfaintly as he gingerly felt his side. \u201cI\u2019m always afraid I\u2019ll move into your\nsword, not out of the way,\u201d he said. Ilrin permitted herself a short smile\nbefore returning her face to its usual masked state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s right, Dilmir,\u201d\nsaid the trainer. \u201cSwordplay isn\u2019t about strength, it\u2019s about agility. You have\nto be fast enough to stay out of your opponent\u2019s way, and be ready to strike a\nblow at any moment. Try again.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir sighed,\nbut brought his sword up obediently. The sun would set soon, meaning that the\ntraining was almost over. Even for an elf, five hours of nothing but combat,\nand constant defeat at that, was rather tiring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRemember,\u201d said\nthe trainer, \u201canticipate her moves. Be ready for anything.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Dilmir watched\nIlrin, he realized there was more truth to this warning than usual: there was\nnever any way to tell what Ilrin was about to do. Dilmir got a firmer grip on\nhis sword and waited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin made\nseveral half hearted feints on his left side, but seemed unwilling to attack in\nearnest. Dilmir could see her eyes darting from place to place, trying to find\na means of attack. Her delay could mean only two things. Either she was\npurposefully stalling, trying to get him to relax, or she really could find no\nunguarded place to attack. Dilmir very much hoped it was the later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No sooner had he\ndecided this then Ilrin suddenly ducked, and spinning half around nearly slid\nalong the grass, her sword pointed up, its tip slicing towards Dilmir at an\nalarming rate. Dilmir leapt up in a kind of ungraceful cross between a flip and\na pirouette to avoid her, only to find her blade pointing serenely at his chest\nwhen he landed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat in the\nname of Aranthar was that?\u201d he asked, stumbling backwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin smiled. \u201cI\ndon\u2019t know,\u201d she said, \u201cI thought it up.\u201d Both Dilmir and the trainer looked at\nher with impressed looks before masking their faces. \u201cYou don\u2019t just think\nsomething like that up,\u201d objected Dilmir weakly, though he couldn\u2019t quite keep\na faint trace of amazement out of his voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, no, I\ndidn\u2019t,\u201d said Ilrin, leaning closer to him and lowering her voice so that the\ntrainer wouldn\u2019t hear. \u201cI thought it up a few nights back and have been waiting\nto try it.\u201d This did very little to lower Dilmir\u2019s opinion of her, however. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPerhaps,\u201d said\nthe trainer, \u201cyou should attack normally, Ilrin. Give Dilmir a chance to get\naway from you. He keeps on reacting well, but your attacks are near impossible\nto break out of.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d said\nDilmir, catching himself a little by surprise. \u201cIf I\u2019m going to beat her, I\nwant to do it on my own, not because she let me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well,\u201d said\nthe trainer, his face blank, though his words came with a sour tinge. \u201cTry\nagain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir and Ilrin\ntook up stances opposite each other, as they had been doing all afternoon. Out of\nthe corner of his eye, Dilmir saw the sun touch the horizon. This would likely\nbe the last duel for the day, and he meant to win it if he could. He gripped\nhis sword harder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As he watched\nIlrin, a sudden thought occurred to him. With the trainer constantly telling\nhim to be ready for anything, was it possible that he could catch her by\nsurprise? Dilmir careful sized up his chances, keeping a watchful eye on Ilrin\nthe whole time. As he saw her eyes dart down, still looking for a weakness, he\nsuddenly lunged forward, his momentum perfectly controlled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin\u2019s sword\nflashed up in an instant, but Dilmir had expected it. He swerved to the side\nand down at the last moment, attacking Ilrin with the move she had used on him not\na minute ago. She, however, knew what to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bringing her\nsword back, she slid away from Dilmir\u2019s attack, her feet firm on the ground,\nonly her body moving away from him. Dilmir flung his sword upwards, only to\nhave it meet Ilrin\u2019s. He leapt sideways to keep his balance, and, pushing his\nsword up, forced hers up as well. For a very brief moment, both Ilrin and\nDilmir were unguarded, there swords connected in the air above them, and then,\neverything changed. Ilrin fell backwards, flipping over and landing squatted\ndown, so that she was close to the ground. Dilmir, the pressure against which\nhis sword had been striving suddenly gone, stumbled forward, and at the same\nmoment, Ilrin\u2019s sword snaked out and tripped him. She leapt lightly out of the\nway as he fell to the ground and landed, standing, her sword lightly touching\nhis throat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir groaned\nto himself and closed his eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was much\nbetter, Dilmir,\u201d said the trainer, \u201cmuch better. That\u2019s enough for today, we\u2019ll\ncontinue tomorrow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir got\npainfully to his feet as Ilrin sheathed her sword. The repeated light tapings\nof her blade had begun to leave bruises half way through the training. \u201cYou\nknow I could have kicked you to the ground when I had your sword up?\u201d he said\nas he sheathed his own blade. Ilrin nodded. \u201cOf course you could have,\u201d she\nsaid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They looked at\neach other for a moment, and then Ilrin turned away, unable to hide her smile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I\nthought,\u201d said Dilmir, not without a grin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou really are\ngetting better, though,\u201d said Ilrin, turning back to him, her face serious once\nagain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust you wait,\u201d\nreplied Dilmir, grinning, as they began walking around the giant tree that cast\nits shade over them towards the gate. \u201cTomorrow I\u2019ll actually defeat you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin laughed\nlightly as they walked past a small rise, which hid the dark forest from view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If Dilmir had\nlooked behind him, he might have seen a shadowy figure lurking behind this\nrise, carefully watching him as he passed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was now or\nnever. Dilmir was the last elf to leave the field, no others were near, save\nfor the girl. The figure wondered briefly who she might be, but decided that he\nwould have to risk her. Dilmir obviously trusted her. Just as the figure made\nto move from the shadows, an icy hand gripped his throat, plunging him back\ninto the darkness and flinging him against the earthy mound behind him, against\nwhich he was held. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUldir,\u201d said a\nsmooth voice, slicing coolly through the blackness. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Uldir froze. He\nknew that voice. \u201cI am visiting my nephew whom I haven\u2019t seen in eight years,\u201d\nhe said, trying to make it sound as if this were the obvious explanation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There was a\npause, and then the voice replied, its silky coolness chilling Uldir to the\nbone, \u201c\u2026 in the dead of night?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, in the\ndead of night, Alfimir!\u201d replied Uldir, his fear mounting. \u201cI have had a long\njourney, and have only now just arrived. Let me go. You have no right to hold\nme here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have all the\nright I need,\u201d replied Alfimir coldly, his face materializing before Uldir. It\nlooked white beneath his hood. \u201cI know why you have come to warn Dilmir.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWarn him?\u201d\nreplied Uldir, trying to look surprised. \u201cWarn him from what?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alfimir laughed\nsoftly, but kept his voice quiet. \u201cDo not feign ignorance with me, Uldir, son\nof Eludir, brother of Aimim. I know perfectly well why you are here, and you\nwill not enter Eld\u2019rin. The council prefers to keep its dealings quiet.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Uldir blanched\nat Alfimir\u2019s words. \u201cHow can you\u2026 you can\u2019t\u2026 you won\u2019t\u2026\u201d Dilmir was\nenjoying the cool night breeze as the last rays of the sun faded, oblivious of\nthe murder that took place behind him. He was contentedly hearing Ilrin chatter\nabout her plans for growing her own house when she was older, without really\ntaking in a word, and glanced up absently at the moon. What he saw made him\nstop in his tracks, his hand suddenly clutched convulsively about Ilrin\u2019s arm.\nShe looked up as well, and Dilmir heard a little gasp of horror escape her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVampires,\u201d\nmuttered Dilmir, as another black shape flitted across the moon. \u201cIlrin,\u201d he\nsaid turning to her, \u201cget inside and warn the others. I\u2019ll be right behind\nyou.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilrin did not move,\nbut remained where she was, though she glanced at Dilmir, as though doubting\nhim. Dilmir turned to her. There was no time to reason with her, she had to get\ninside the city. The elves already didn\u2019t trust him, but if anything were to\nhappen to Ilrin in his presence, things would not go well with either of them.\n\u201cGet inside,\u201d he said again, before turning back to the moon. Ilrin took a\ntentative step towards the gate, but before she had gone further, a vampire\nlanded directly in front of her. Ilrin let out a scream and stumbled backwards\nto Dilmir, who turned to face the vampire. He felt his blood run cold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cyprien\nEssenwein, lord of all vampires, stood, looking about him, his pallid face\nshining in the moonlight. He quickly caught sight of Ilrin, and fastened his\neyes upon her. \u201cAh, dinner\u2026\u201d he hissed softly, his red tongue darting out and\nlicking his lips hungrily. Ilrin darted behind Dilmir even as Cyprien whirled\nhis hand in the air, grasping a blade from it. Just as he was preparing to leap\nforward, Dilmir shot his arm out, and Cyprien was flung back to strike a nearby\nroot with such force that the wood cracked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The vampire looked\nmildly surprised at being flung down by apparently nothing but air, and\nstruggled to get up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir, however,\nwas not finished with him. He could feel the vampire\u2019s struggles through the\nair which he controlled, and, with his other hand, formed a fist of more air,\npreparing to beat the vampire down. Cyprien, however, was no ordinary vampire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAz rakanar!<\/em>\u201d he hissed, and Dilmir felt\nthe air he had controlled but a moment before dissipate. He groped to regain\nit, but Cyprien flew forwards, knocking him to the ground. Dilmir rolled to\navoid Cyprien, for he knew full well what befell any elf that met his icy\ngrasp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSaren!<\/em>\u201d cried Cyprien, stretching his\nhand towards Dilmir. \u201cDo not flee from me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In an instant,\nDilmir felt his momentum cease. He sprawled on the ground, struggling to get\nup, as Cyprien advanced on him, his blade carving circles in the air as he\ntwirled it. \u201cI shall deal with you first,\u201d said Cyprien, and evil smile on his\nface, \u201cand then we shall see how good the girl tastes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir\u2019s anger\nrose, pushing his fear out of the way. Feeling for the ground beneath Cyprien,\nhe flung his arm upwards, causing the earth to do likewise. Cyprien was flung\ninto the sky, his grin vanishing in an instant. Most unfortunately, he landed next\nto Dilmir, his hand outstretched, eager, grasping\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n A ball of flame,\nso hot that Dilmir could feel it coming, crashed into Cyprien. He was knocked off\nof his feet and flung past Dilmir, to land on the ground behind him. Dilmir\nquickly scrambled up, moving away from the vampire even as he rose, his smile\nnow replaced with a grimace, whether of pain or anger, Dilmir couldn\u2019t tell.\nDilmir stumbled backwards, and in another instant, a cloaked and hooded figure\ncame into his range of vision, marching slowly towards Cyprien, now casting a\nbarrage of shimmering blue bolts of magic at him. The bolts struck quickly, but\nseemed to have little effect, for Cyprien flung himself into the air and flew\ntowards the advancing elf. The elf drew back for a moment, and then thrust both\nof his hands, palms outwards, towards Cyprien as he dove, shooting something\nbright and green at him. The spell hit Cyprien directly in the chest, and he\nfell to earth with a dull thud, screaming in agony. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The vampire\nleapt up once again, flinging balls of fire at the elf, who deflected them with\na rapidity which amazed Dilmir, and then flew backwards into the night, still\nattempting to rid himself of the curse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dilmir watched\nhim twist through the air, growing smaller and smaller, until he was but a\nspeck against the moon, winging his way towards his dark castle. Only then did\nhe look back down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlfimir!\u201d he\nsaid in surprise as he recognized the archmage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alfimir turned\nto him. His hood had slipped from his head during the battle, revealing a\nlength of dark hair and a face that always appeared strangely drained of color.\n\u201cAye,\u201d he said simply, acknowledging Dilmir. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For a moment,\nAlfimir observed Dilmir, as if pondering something. And then, without warning,\nhe conjured a sword seemingly from the black night itself, and, whirling it to\npoint at Dilmir, flung it at him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Time seemed to\nslow down. Dilmir watched, not understanding what had just happened, as the\nsword flipped end over end towards him, getting ever closer, the sharp edge\ngleaming menacingly in the moonlight. He saw, before the blade struck,\nAlfimir\u2019s stony face, devoid of emotion, his mouth set. He heard Ilrin\u2019s cry of\nshock from nearby, as she rushed towards him. The last thing he saw was\nAlfimir\u2019s face, blank as ever, though Dilmir thought he saw a trace of grim\nsatisfaction flash across it for a brief instant. And then, everything went\ndark, and blackness enveloped Dilmir. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cFocus, Dilmir!\u201d That\u2019s all I hear these days thought Dilmir as he got gingerly back to his feet, rubbing the spot on his side where Ilrin\u2019s sword had nicked him. He absently pushed his hair out of his eyes and rose to face Ilrin once again. It was nearing evening; the two of them had … Continue reading Chapter Five – Blood Raid<\/span>
\nUldir\u2019s words were caught of short as Alfimir twisted his hand, the hand\nholding Uldir, very slightly. Uldir instantly went silent, his eyes bulged, and\nthen he went limp. Alfimir released him, and he fell to the ground, a black\nhump in the night. Alfimir wiped his hand smoothly on his cloak and looked\naround the rise. Dilmir and the girl were walking slowly; they hadn\u2019t yet\nentered the gate. They were nearing it though, and Alfimir knew he would have\nto act fast. In the moment he skirted around the mound, though, everything\nchanged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n