Memories and Thoughts of an old elf.

a diary of Kal'thinas Dawnstriker

[kalthinas-blog]

The broken return

“I will return to you.” Those were the last words to enter his mind as the searing blade of the Nathrezim slid into his chest and hoisted him into the air. “You will never see them again, elven filth. How does that feel?” The haunting laughter reverberated through his soul as the world faded to black.

“Well well well.. Lord-commander Kal'thinas Dawnstriker. I was truly hoping to make it before you went off on this ridiculous suicide mission. But clearly I failed in my mission.” The jade-eyed elf chuckled, tapping the nearly unconscious Kal with his staff.

As he awoke, it felt as if the sun itself was within his gut, unable to do anything but cry out in pain. The fire nearby serving as his only light, he rolled over and looked at the madly grinning elf, begging for it to end. “P-please..” the odd savior simply shook his head “No. You have been reborn, a gift from an old friend. See for yourself.” The elf held out a shard of a mirror, allowing Kalth to see himself for the first time. His hair was still white, with a single streak of gold running down the center, his skin slightly paler than it had been. The strangest part being his eyes, where once he had one green and one blue, he now had two golden eyes that looked as if they were crafted from the flames of Odyn himself. “What.. what have you done.” Kalth rolled onto his back, screaming as the pain once again surged through his body. “Me? I did nothing. You brought this upon yourself. You have not yet fulfilled your pact. Or have you forgotten. Throwing your life away like this was not part of the deal, this is not selfless sacrifice. This was entirely selfish. And for that you will walk this world until you learn that lesson once again. That much longer without your sweet human mistress.” The elf laughed, fel eyes flaring. “You would think you would have learned then, so many years ago. Nearly 300 years since her passing isn’t it? And then this Magistrix comes along and you feel that you can so easily repent? What a fool you have been.”

As the elf spoke, Kal'thinas once again succumbed to the pain, fading to darkness once again.

The sounds of waves breaking on the shore gave an almost dreamy feeling to the elf as he woke, face down in the sands. “Where.. who?” Utter confusion took hold as he finally came to full consciousness. He could not remember where he was, or even who he was. Only two things echoed in his mind. “Erudition.. Magistrix.” He came to stand, looking at the forests edge, an ominous wall at the edge of the beach. A broken tree lay there, and on it were several articles of armor, a bow with a quiver and a note. “Do not fail us again - E.W.” and marked with a teal leaf. On the back was a crudely drawn map with an X near the mountains. It was clear to where he needed to go, but he was unsure as to why. As he strapped the armor on, he took note of the massive scar going from over his heart, down to his lower abdomen. And the reflection of the golden eyes in the morning mist. A low growl came from the edge of the forest, and a massive Lynx wandered towards him, head bowed down and the hair bristled high. As it approached it took a deep sniff of his scent, quickly bowing low in respect of its old master. “Lead me to this Erudition.” The Lynx roared, bounding off into the forest. Kalth pulled on the shadowed hood, leaving only the glow from his eyes visible, and sped off into the treeline. “Return to me.” Who’s voice was that? Why did it feel so familiar, yet so distant? He was determined to find out.

Within the course of a week, they made their way into the dark forests of Silverpine. Looking down from the hill onto the small village, he crumpled the map, stuffing it in his belt. As the bell tolled, he began to whistle…

[commander-dawnstriker]

Last request..

“I’m going to miss these walls..” A low voice cut through the silence. The sun fell below the hill, its once golden rays making the sky a pure cornucopia of color, pink and blue hues filled the heavens. The dirt was familiar to him, it was home. He toyed with it in his hands, looking across the now empty and dark house, piercing eye cutting across to the simple garden, a single Peacebloom illuminated by the now rising moonlight. The time drew near..

the elf sat on his heels, knees into the earth, as he looked towards his wife’s grave marker. An eye-patch covered his right eye, hiding that which others need not know. His usual golden armor hidden beneath a thick cloak, not a twinkle in view. A simple sword sat beneath the cloak, clinging to his side as a child would. The cloak draped around him in a half-circle, allowing him a moment of privacy from peeking eyes. His skin had dimmed, No longer kissed by the sun, but dull and pale. His hair remained wild and long, held together by a strip of embersilk cloth. In his hand he held a stack of letters, all addressed to former friends and brothers-in-arms, though one stuck out to him, it was to an old friend and lover, one he held very dear. They all contained personalized messages and a small token of his appreciation for their friendship, followed by a message to the group..

Dear friends, we have been through so much together, peace and war, love and hate. Continue to love deeply and long, fight strong and be swift. May the Moon guide your path and the Sun kiss your skin. I write this to you now, asking you to recall on those times we had together to answer a final request. When I fall, and the sun sets over the hill, spread my ashes around my flower. Do this so the Sun and Moon may kiss my body for another lifetime. Do this for me, as my final request.

“The portal is ready, Sir.”

The young human mage bowed respectfully, hired by an old friend to give passage to the elder elf. He was eager to impress, though he had no inkling into the true nature of his business here.

“And so it is..”

The elf stood to face the portal, cloak falling around him. Just through the entrance he saw a familiar scene of battle. The Broken Shore lie just a few steps away, Demons and the Armies of Legionfall clashing just beyond reach. A single tear fell from his left eye as he turned away from the home he had held for centuries.. He then tossed the cloak back, golden armor shining brightly in the moonlight. Raising the curved blade to the sky, The elf summoned Holy armor that encompassed him, giving him the visage of a Guardian of Ancient Kings. His eye blazed with the element of fire, igniting the fury within his heart. He took one last look at his home, before charging through the portal, into the heat of all he had known.. Battle to defend those he loved.

The human, barely old enough to be called a man, stood in awe as the portal snapped shut. It left him standing in the Twilight of the evening, alone in the garden. All that remained was the blossoming Peacebloom... And a stack of letters.

[commander-dawnstriker]

To think we had come this far...

Suffering and strife, pain and sorrow, lust and pleasure. These are the fractured remnants of memories now long lost to the sands of time. A deal cut, and a contract signed. “You do realize you will recognize no one, not family, not loved ones, not even your own child?” The young maiden spoke softly, as if pleading for the elder elf to change his course. “Could you really do this to yourself? For the sake of what? A bargain with a dragon..” Her ebony locks draped over her face as a single tear slipped from the previously stoic facade. She reached out to him, a gentle hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

The male elf gazed through the window, watching the trees sway in the soft spring wind. His children would have come into adulthood this past winter.. His wife bringing in fresh produce from the nearest market. These glimpses of what could have been danced through his vision, blurring as the tears welled. The embersilk cloth resting on the desk in front of him, his hair resting loose across his back. “My friends do not need my protection anymore, they will move on and grow old. My mission is complete and no one need know of this. Kal’thinas Dawnstriker will be no more.. I have served my purpose.” The muscles in his cheek flexed, almost mimicking a smile as he held onto a shred of a memory, a gift given to an old friend, and the scrap of cloth he had kept as a memento of that moment. The thoughts of his friends both living and not swam through his head. They would not understand what he had done, or why.

 A dying wish from a dying elf on the field of battle.. answered by a young drake striving for power. Power that should never have been offered. “I will grant you life, young elf.. But I cannot guarantee how long my magic will stay, as I am still young amongst my kin.” The young Kal’thinas, still only a ranger at this age and barely into adulthood cried, Troll axe sticking from his abdomen, blood dribbling from his lips. His hand gripped tightly to another elf lying not too far away.. His father lay still, unbreathing, clad in the fullest glory of the armory of House Dawnstriker, Three trollish arrows stuck out of his throat, the slowly congealing blood sticking to the grass. The red drake took an elven form, a young maiden with ebony hair, kneeling next to the young ranger, a hand hovering over his chest. “You will live beyond this day, protect those you hold dear with the fury and might of a dragon..” Words softly spoken but powerful as green magic encircled the elf, grass and flowers grew and the wounds of this fallen elf were healed. The axe and his fallen fathers armor lay near him, shined and cleaned as if fresh from the smithy. As he looked around he could see the freshly made burial mound of his father, a single peacebloom growing at the peak, and as the sun rose above the forest, a slight glimpse of a drake flying north was spotted, and forever be burned into his mind...

Now the magic ran thin, Kal’thinas could feel the age catching up to him as the young maiden cursed herself for not being able to help him further all those centuries ago. There was only one option left for him, he realized as he gazed out at that peacebloom in the garden. But whether he accepted that would remain to be seen..

(I do apologize to all of those who follow my blog, I have been dealing with many delays in creativity due to work as well as several IC and OOC fallouts I have had over the past few months. I’ve been keeping up with my writing as I can and will begin to post on a more frequent basis now that I have the time to clear my thoughts as I put my pen to paper. I do accept any form of criticism so please do not hesitate to offer any form of such. Thank you for bearing with me my friends, Here is to more adventures on Kalth’s journey!)

[commander-dawnstriker]

“Buff your armor and oil you sword.” These are the words that ring in my ear. Every morning I follow my same routine, before even grabbing breakfast. Start from the top and work your way down. Helmet, old but still strong, a slash from where I lost my eye. Pauldrons, saved my life on more than one occasion, dent from an alliance hammer. Breastplate, a few mistakes left this piece slightly dented and gashed, but the tabard hides most of the scars. Vambraces and gauntlets, strong and agile, my fingers stay uncovered, easier to grip my sword and shield. Legplates, comfortable and strong, need to get them enchanted once again. Greaves, solid and heavy, yet light enough for quick movement. As I go along I polish each piece, remembering the battles I have fought. Those who have lived and died by my side. Every day it’s the same ritual, it’s almost religious to me now. I place each piece back onto the rack, one at a time, staring in disbelief. How have I made it this far? When so many people have not.. I move to my sword, though I cannot reach for it. I no longer use this weapon. Simply touching it brings back the worst of memories. I leave it hanging on the wall. The day I take this off the rack, will be the day I give my life for my family. My shield sits by my bed, tall and strong. Made of fine wood and elfish metals. This is my ritual every morning and has been for as long as I can remember. The day comes soon that this will change, I can feel it in my bones. Am I prepared? Are any of us, prepared?

--A silent diary of Commander Kal’thinas Dawnstriker.