*She had to sacrifice something that she was not prepared for... (A prompt from Erica Garcia, the Writing Prompt App.)

*Within the bowels of a dark stone chamber, an unnamed creature tests the patience of one who demands her sacrifice.

The choice is given: Surrender her body or abandon her heart.

(Thank you for this reworked blurb. I use it as the opening for my story)

"Drop them in there." Cia pointed to the stone table filled with bottles and small objects.

I couldn't miss the giant bubbling goblet in the center, filled to the brim with a mysterious shiny liquid, even if I wanted to.

I felt like prey. Cia's golden iris occasionally lit up with some wicked calculation. From the years I had spent with her, I knew well enough that nothing good would come out of this situation.

She had said she wanted my horns. I supposed I could part ways with them. I had shed blood, tears, sweat, and been nearly killed for this woman countless times before, so what little pain from sawing off my horns would be in comparison?

I just had some idea of what Cia wanted, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

These pair of horns—the utterly useless objects to me—would be used to raise the whole army of undead Svyies. Imagine the damage Adelmo and his Riders would suffer because of that. Imagine the darkness and destruction. We had come too far to let it happen.

The Chosen One, the First, the Pure Blood. All those names hung over my head like curses since the day I had become conscious. Right there, on Cia's table. Now, they just sounded ironic.

"What's the delay, child? What are you waiting for?" Cia hissed at me.

"I won't do it."

It took me a while, but for the first time in my life, I could say it without fear. It only made Cia laugh. The cackling drilled into my brain when I saw nothing funny. I had crawled my way out from under her thumbs, Cia would have to drag my dead body back and revive it again if she wanted me to serve. Imagine all that hard work.

"My child."

As if she could read my thoughts, Cia smiled and waved her hand in the air. So gracefully. I could hear heavy chains scraping behind the chamber's stone walls like metallic snakes waking up from their slumber. The whole room shook. I know the mechanism like the back of my hands, having countless hours by myself in this chamber.

Cia put a finger on her cherry lips, and, just as when she presented Eor the Golem to me as a gift, she pointed to the hidden door that had hissed open like a giant mouth. I glanced in that direction but was never ready to see what, or who there was.

In the corner, on the damp and dirty floor, Elis' eyes and mouth gaped open. His clothes were torn to shreds. His silver hair was matted. With dry blood. The fog of death blanketed his features, giving me a gut punch. Air was sucked out of my lungs.

I had been looking for Elis up and down the river for six months straight, with a certainty that no one from his group could survive, but here he was.

"I don't understand...."

The mumbling came out as strange as it got. I didn't even feel my tongue.

"Your horns for his life, child. Simple as that. I suggest you make up your mind quickly because I don't think poor Elis could wait."

No, he couldn't, could he? I don't think so.

Neither could I.

***

"Hey, Horn, it's only thirty yards away. Thirty yards! What happened to you?"

Elis' silver hair was a mess because of the wind, but it didn't affect his annoyingly joyous mood one bit. The bull's eye looked like a red spot from where we stood. It was laughing at me.

I could easily hit a target twice as far while riding a horse. Normally. Today, my body was just not in tune with my mind. Maybe it was the wind.

"Lowri's mead must not agree with me..." I mumbled an excuse and lowered the bow.

My performance got worse and worse with each shot. Elis shook his head. His dimples deepened with another smile.

"Forget it. Why don't we stop practicing and do something more fun?"

"Something like what?"

"You know Adelmo will be back today right? I heard they have formed a new team to retrieve the Frost Shield, and they need volunteers."

"Again with that?" I groaned. "I thought Adelmo has given up? We have no idea where Odreagor and his harpy are. We're just wasting time and momentum by staying here for too long..."

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I'm not the one who makes the decision." Elis raised his hands in a feigned surrender.

"He is your brother, isn't he? Why don't you give him some advice?"

"Me? Advice?" Elis doubled over as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. "You think Adelmo, the pride of House Salazar, the Golden Lion, would listen to me? Come on, you must admit it sounds funny."

I huffed without an answer. I was still not familiar with what Elis and the elves considered funny. I didn't even know elves had a sense of humor, but who was I to say?

Nyana, or Horn, as Elis had insisted on calling me didn't know humor. What did a creature like me need it for? I was created, in the most basic sense of the word, by the enchantress Cia of Nueleth. Her name spelled death and destruction to a lot of people. No one knew where she came from, how old she was, or what she was exactly. They just told each other to stay away from Nueleth.

That place suited her, I must admit, with all the swarms and lurking creatures. It used to be my home.

I didn't have a childhood, not really, and Cia was not much of a mother...

I stood in the middle of the field with Elis when a group of riders approached us. Adelmo was in front with his golden armor, looking like the sun itself. He was our great leader, the young Elf King who had taken back Elunore—the first elven capital—from the wraiths after a war between the two kinds about three centuries ago. The city was nothing but ruins now, but Elunore's history and what it symbolized still made it the most sacred place to the elves.

Adelmo's ambition didn't stop there. He had planned to capture the wraith king and conquer his kingdom for quite some time. It would be sweet revenge, but on top of everything, it would clear Adelmo's path down south, straight into the heart of Maana Thalor—the Shadow Walker's nest.

Adelmo stopped in front of us. His horse jumped on its hind legs, creating a cloud of dust that covered Elis and me.

"Your grace." I bent my back to the elf king while Elis was busy coughing his lungs out.

"What an entrance..." He spoke through the tears.

Adelmo's eyes were on his brother for a minute before going back to the sun. I believed the man knew how majestic he looked.

"We have located where the Frost Shield was. Old Odreagor couldn't run this time..." He proudly stated.

"Your Grace," I cut him off, "If you allow me..."

"No, Nyana, I know what you're about to say, but the Shield is important. I would not allow it to slip through my hands again. Elis, I need you to lead a team for me."

"Your Grace," I sighed and glanced back at Elis. "If that is your decision, of course, I couldn't disobey it, but I would like to accompany Elis."

"This mission would be Elis' alone. He needs to learn how to be a leader. You, on the other hand, need to go through the plans for the new Eastern Quarter with me."

"Sire, the rebuilding surely can wait a few more months. We are still in the middle of a war..."

"It cannot wait."

That ended the conversation. Just as suddenly as when he had appeared, Adelmo turned his horse around and left. I looked at Elis. His mouth slowly spread into a wide grin.

It was not that I didn't trust him. Elis was very gifted with combat skills, but he didn't like to use his brain often, even when he was blessed with a great one.

"Elis..."

"Oh, don't worry about me, Horn. Didn't you see that? My brother trusted me. He would not give me that important mission if he didn't think I could handle it."

"Sure, you could handle it, but you're careless, and in battles, being careless means..."

"Death, ya, I know... Could you just have a little faith in me?" His eyes pleaded and I found my heart softened a little.

"I have faith in you."

It was not very convincing but Elis didn't care.

***

The day of Elis' departure was finally there. I was stuck in the chamber with a mountain of construction plans and designs for the new capital. My bow and arrows looked out of place next to the scrolls just as myself in Adelmo's court.

The elf king had saved me more than I could count. Both in battles and in court. I had been Adelmo's right-hand person for so long that if it was not because of the jealousy and hatred I still faced daily, I would have thought I was one of the elves.

I had been sent here to assassinate him, but in return, Adelmo had given me a new life and purpose. How could they not hate?

Elis had left early that morning with a team of riders. They would ride West, through the green fields of Melfe into the marshland of Yilhen. Odreagor and his Harpy were supposed to settle there for the winter. The plan was for the riders to sneak in at the right moment and steal the Frost Shield, not fight Odreagor and his Harpy head-on. That would be unwise.

It was expected to take a week, or five days if they did it fast, but it slowly turned into two, then three weeks with no responses...

I watched Adelmo pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. His fists clenched. His whole body tensed up like a lion waiting to pounce. Under the stony surface was rage.

"Your Grace," I opened my mouth. "I know it's not the best thing to do but I'm willing to take the risk... You have to agree with me, Elis is still out there somewhere, and if there is something, anything we can do to bring him home, we have to do it. The only person who could help us is Mothe—I mean the enchantress. She is powerful and she can take Odreagor, and the only one she would talk to is m—"

"Will she do it for free?"

"Pardon?"

"Will she do it for free, Nyana? Out of the kindness of her heart? Or will she take you back, put something in you, then send you for my head once again?"

I knew Adelmo's concern was valid. Cia was a cunning witch with dark, ancient magic. No elf in their right mind would want to deal with her. Especially the one who had escaped his assigned death. The fate of Elis and his riders looked grimmer by the day, however. I knew Adelmo was in a bind, but now wasn't the time to be indecisive if he wanted to save his brother.

"Your Grace..."

"Nyana, you don't understand! I can't risk losing you too. I know you call her Mother but she is not your or anyone's mother. Cia is evil. We're in the middle of the winter. Elven magic is not strong during this time of the year. I can't even rescue you if I want! We have lost enough time here already, we will have to proceed South as planned without Elis."

"Are you listening to yourself?" I snarled at Adelmo. Never in my wildest dream, I would imagine myself doing that, but it didn't stop me. "Elis is missing because of you! You gave him the order, knowing fully well how he is! He is not someone who could lead sixty riders to face Odreagor. The old wizard, Odreagor, for God's sake! I don't even know why you would do such a thing to your brother!"

Adelmo leaped at me. I didn't expect him to move that fast. "You don't know how lucky you are, Nyana," he whispered. "I need you here in the camp. I need you here with me. Your king values your talents. That's why I would not punish you for speaking out of turn this time."

His hand slid down my hair gently, but I didn't miss the deadly glint in his teal-colored eyes. The years serving under Adelmo must have dulled my senses. I had lowered my guarded and forgotten who he was. As regal and proper as he carried himself, Adelmo was a proven warrior. A killer. Elves had superior physical and mental abilities compared to other species. Adelmo, even not as a king, wasn't someone I should ever underestimate, not when he was in this mood.

Fortunately, he only threw me to the side and walked over to the coat rack. "You, indeed, are very lucky." Adelmo fixed the collar of his moss-green cloak and looked back at me with a charming smile on his face. "Not only that I won't kill you, but I will treat you very well."

I stared at the golden Salazar house crest on the back of his cloak when Adelmo walked out of the tent. Forget about what he had said, I must do what was necessary. I would worry about the punishments later when, or if, I came back.

I rode out of the gate and kept west. Days turned into nights, and before I knew it, I reached Yilhen.

I remembered this vast marshland. On my way from Nueleth, I had crossed this place. It was hell, especially during the winter. The marsh froze in some parts. Mud and snow mixed together, creating a slippery mess for whoever was brave or dumb enough to come here.

A permanent fog blanketed the place. I couldn't see beyond the head of my horse, but I could hear the wailings.

Thousands of souls. Layers and layers of people and beasts who had lost their lives here once. They were embedded in the soil and water and lingered in the air I breathed. The souls were restless. They were hungry and feral, but I was not a living thing, not exactly, so they let me through.

I didn't ride straight to the forest in front of Odreagor's camp but circled to the back. The river was as turbulent as ever. Anything that fell into its icy water would be carried away within minutes. I stared at it for a long time before closing my eyes.

Mother, I need your help.

***

"Your horns for his life, child. Simple as that. I suggest you make up your mind quickly because I don't think poor Elis here could wait."

I stared at the disheveled figure of the young elf prince, the only one who had ever treated me with genuine kindness and threw my sword at Cia's feet. "Go ahead. Have it your way."

"No, no, you misunderstood me, child."

I frowned in confusion. Cia looked up at the ceiling and let out a hearty laugh.

"I would not be the one who does that."

"The who?...Oh..."

Cia shook her head and waved her index in my face. She started to chant. It was the ancient language I had never bothered to learn.

The room vibrated as her bony fingers traced the edge of my sword. Her words got louder and louder. Then with the spell's abrupt end, my sword lit up like a bolt of lightning.

"Try it now," Cia handed the sword to me and stepped back.

It was not heavier or lighter, just different. I angled it at my horns and swallowed.

In the past, I had used my horns as weapons on several occasions. Not smart, but they were strong, nearly invincible. When you faced life-and-death situations, all rules were out the window.

There was this one time, however, my horns had chipped badly after I'd used them against a dwarf—who had either possessed a blessed ax or one made of pure Ularan steel. The headache I had suffered after was indescribable. I had seriously considered cutting my head off.

The sword went into my horns like a hot knife through butter, but at the same time, I thought someone had poured freshly melted iron over my head. I threw away my sword and dropped to the floor, screaming.

Cia jumped over to catch the precious horns and put them in the goblet while I was rolling with my hands on my stumps. I smelled burned flesh and herbs—A musky combination that made my nose itch. The gurgling sound got louder.

"You don't know what you have brought Mother...You are such a good child." Cia smiled lovingly at the brown goo inside the goblet, then at me.

I used to do anything just for her to smile at me like that.

I dropped my head and whimpered. My vision went black.

"Elis..." I whispered. I had forgotten to check if he was still alive. Novice mistake.

Cia was chanting something again, not paying attention to us. I crawled toward Elis. Every inch was a battle. My head felt as if it was on fire. I inched toward Elis. He didn't answer my calls, but I remembered where he was.

The chamber still shook violently. The floor was cold and rough under my palms, but soon, I touched soft materials. Silk. I wanted to scream and punched Elis' chest until he woke up, but I had no strength left.

"Mother, help me... Help him. You have promised," I pleaded.

Through all of the commotions, I could feel Cia. Her soul was changing, not a lot, but definitely.

"Why? Why would I help this pathetic thing?" Her voice echoed. "See, child, soon, all the land will belong to me... I will fulfill the prophecy... Only one bloodline could sit on the throne of Elunore."

"The elves already have a king..."

Cia cackled like a woman who had lost the last thread of her sanity. "Who? That boy Adelmo, the one who barely qualifies as an elf? Or this brother of his? The house of Salazar is a bunch of useless fools who pay too much attention to their emblems and songs! They should have been wiped out a long time ago!"

"Why do you hate them so much? What do the elves have to do with you? You have your own land and powers. Others fear you! What else do you want?" I struggled to lift my head and acted as if I could see Cia.

"What do I want?"

The enchantress jumped in front of me and turned her face to the side. She pulled my face closer. When her copper-colored hair was pulled back, I could see a large hole where her ear was supposed to be.

"I want all of them to suffer. To pay for what they did. I want all of them to see what monster they have created by betraying their queen."

***

I lay on the chamber's stone floor for quite some time. I believed I did.

It was cold, hard, and strange-smelling. The potions, through the years, had vaporized and seeped into every crack and corner. The chamber and Cia herself smelled just like them.

It was not as pungent as I remembered.

Something cold and wet constantly splashed on my face. I wanted to wipe it away, but my hands felt as if they were nailed to the ground.

Oooooh....

The bellow yanked me from my dreams. It sounded like a large, unintelligent beast's cry, but it gave me no fear.

I knew it well.

Oooooh....

The loud, repetitive sound of water almost masked it, but I could hear it as clear as day.

I cracked my eyes open.

The sun was harsh above. It was painful. My eyes always did better in the dark than in bright daylight, but they would eventually adjust, and the pain meant that I was still alive.

My clothes were soaked. Memories came like a frustrating puzzle. Many pieces were missing.

After Cia had left me on the floor to complete her ritual, I had lain there next to Elis for what felt like a lifetime. I had listened to my creator's madness. Her uncontrollable crackles. Sometimes, her mutters and cries. All of my strength had evaded me. I was sure those would be my last moments.

How had I gotten out here? Had I somehow managed to crawl out? Or had Cia flushed me through the drainage when she had finished?

My eyes trailed down to my left hand. It tangled in a mass of wet silver strands.

Long, silver, elven hair.

Elis looked a mess with his face partly shrouded. His handsome features, whatever were visible, were covered in cuts and bruises. His clothes were tattered. He reminded me of the birds that Brok, Adelmo's hound, would often drag in after a hunt.

Elis was lifeless, but I could hear his spiorad fighting under the surface.

"Elis... Elis... Can you hear me?" I whispered, tugging his hair. It was still softer than any silk I had ever touched.

I didn't save the elf to prove that I was right or better than anyone. I didn't hope for any reward. I just needed Elis to be alive.

I willed myself toward him and grabbed a fist full of his torn tunic. I wanted to pull him closer. Normally, I could lift Elis off his feet and carry him around for hours without breaking a sweat, despite being much smaller, but today, my body didn't seem to cooperate.

Groaning loudly, I pushed myself up. I sat on what looked like a large boulder, covered in sweat. The air was damp and cool. A huge column of sparkling water poured down from the cloud-covered mountaintop, looking like the stairway straight to the gods' home.

A creature like me had no business with a place like that...

Oooooh....

There that sound again. My heart banged in my chest. I whipped my head in that direction and shouted, "Eor! Eor the Mighty! Is that you?"

A warm feeling flooded me from head to toe. In the most unexpected time and place, I found him. My golem. I thought I had lost him forever ago in the darkness of Amdar Forest.

I wanted to call him again when the thought came to my head.

What if it was not Eor?

It sure sounded like him, but what if it was not?

If I was still in Nueleth, and, most likely, that was the case, many things could trick me by mimicking the sound of the golem. Shouting out my location would be the most stupid thing I could have done.

Nueleth was a wild place. The creatures that resided in this part were the stuff of nightmares. Normally, they wouldn't be able to hurt me, but they could now.

I also had to think about Elis.

Deep in the lush shadow of the forest, something big was coming. I searched around for something I could use to defend myself and Elis before finding a large branch. It was as big as my leg and twice the length.

I tried to break it in half and ended up with my wrists almost broken. The shooting pain made tears roll down my face. I cursed aloud, then tried again by carefully positioning the gigantic branch against a rock and jumping on it.

The final result pleased me—two crude spikes with jagged sharp ends would be good enough to gut anything. I wished I could sharpen them some more, but there was no time or tool for that. I touched my head for a little assurance, and my heart just dropped.

I remembered what had happened.

Now when I focused on it, the piercing headache was not there anymore, but so was something else. My body was sore and disoriented.

It didn't feel good.

"Come here, little fucker. Whatever you are." I whispered and strained my eyes to the trees.

The movements reminded me of a whale swimming through the ocean. Or a dragon in the open sky.

Effortlessly.

Oooooh....

Come on, don't play with me like that.

I could see its large stony head, then its body. The tan clay was in contrast with the vegetation. Under the bright sun, Eor stood with his arms raised in an elaborate greeting gesture. His mouth opened as wide as a well.

Scary, yet it was a friendly smile.

"Eor, come here!" I waved at him. "Come here, you big thing!"

The golem parted the bushes and waded through the shallow water. He grunted happily.

I needed Eor. His appearance was nothing short of a gift from the gods. I needed to get Elis back to the fortress where Adelmo and the riders were, but I had no horse. Carrying him on foot through the forest and the marshland would be impossible.

I also needed to let the elf king know what was coming if it had not come already.

I felt a knot in my stomach thinking of all the undead Svyies that Cia would set loose. They should not be here. What was dead should stay dead.

The Svyies used to be the masters of this land. Before the elves, dwarves, wraiths, and other creatures even existed, the Svyies had built their own kingdom, using the power that Olene—Goddess of Light— had granted them.

They were believed to be the Goddess' direct descendants, who had enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous world until one day their king, Godum the First, had decided to challenge Bazotz—God of War. Godum had been defeated and the Svyies had lost the gods' favor since. Olene, in an attempt to pacify Bazotz, had taken away their light.

Life had withered, but Olene had not wanted to kill off her children. She had hidden some Svyies, Godum and his family included, in a mountain, waiting for the day Bazotz's grudge was subsided. That day, unfortunately, had never come. Somehow, after a few millennia, Cia had gotten her hands on a pair of horns that used to belong to Godum the First.

So here I was, a pureblood Svyie with no parents.

I could feel Elis' very subtle breathing. I leaned down and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Picking him up was a task but not impossible. Eor was behind me, waiting patiently. I looked back and smiled at him.

Suddenly, Elis' weight knocked me off my balance. I fell face-first on the ground. It was painful, but I lay there with my eyes wide open for a different reason.

The elf was not heavy at all. He shouldn't be, but I couldn't move him an inch. My arms held no strength. Something was wrong.

Time was of the essence. I needed to get back.

The sun had set behind the line of trees. The air got colder. I shivered in my wet clothes. Elis didn't look so good. His face was so pale, and I was afraid he would stop breathing at any time without me knowing. My stomach growled, adding to my predicament.

At least, Eor was here so no creature could attack us.

"Eor," I raised my hand.

The golem meekly bent down and scooped both of us in his hands. They, when put together, were as big as a tea table. The earthy smell from Eor and my own exhaustion tempted me to close my eyes. I squeezed Elis, trying to find some warmth in him.

...

I didn't know how long it had been, but I heard drums playing somewhere.

I liked it. The sounds were calming. I didn't feel cold or hungry anymore.

The drumming got a little louder and moved right under my ear. I seemed pressed on a hard bed, but I didn't mind. I just wanted to bury my face deeper in it and never wake up.

Something brushed the two short stumps that used to be my horns. It tickled.

"We should do this more often, Horn...Now that you can't blind me with these."

The bed could talk. First time for everything.