Chapter 32

"Send her outside." Cirestain said, setting his cup full of tea down on the table. "We should get her into action, she took the Mountain Lyres quite well, last time."

Chelsea looked at her mentor in surprise, "Where should we take her? We can't take her up in the Lost Forest to have fun with Giant Spiders, remember? Alicia and Michael saw some Smoulders at the base of the mountain?"

"I wasn't thinking about the Lost Forest and spiders. I fear that Giant Spiders might scare the bejesus out of Willow, I was thinking Elamore." Her mentor replied, looking out the window.

"Elamore?" Chelsea replied, shocked. "You want us to take her to the Elves?"

"Yeah, show her around the UnderWorld a bit..." Cirestain replied.

"This is about the children, isn't it?" Alicia said, out of nowhere. She had been quiet this entire evening.

Cirestain sighed and looked over at Alicia, "Yes. Haven and Georgia have requested her out for a bit."

Michael snorted, "What is Willow going to do to the children? Zap 'em with her mind powers?"

Chris nudged Michael hard in the ribs, "You know they're sensitive about Amnesians."

"No," Alicia replied, picking at her nails. "They're racist against Amnesians."

"Racist!" Chris scoffed. "They're just scared, alright? It's her ancestor who tortured our kind and wants to control our world! What else are they supposed to think?"

"Are you defending them?" Michael asked, looking at Chris spectrally.

Chris fell back, "No." He muttered. "I am just trying to reason their thinking."

"Alright!" Cirestain said, taking a small sip of his tea. "Quit bickering. Just send her to Elamore, and when she comes back, the children will be long asleep."

~~~~

"We're going to see the Elves?" Willow asked as Chelsea handed her gear.

"Yes," Chelsea replied. "They are eager to meet you."

Willow didn't say anything as she escaped to the bathroom and put on the tight, black gear. Chelsea had also handed her belts. Willow had had a whole lesson on how to put belts on. Also how to take them off.

Once she was all prepared, she made it to the weapons room. She knew RiverPlain like the back of her hand now-a-days.

Michael and Alicia were the only ones in the room. Michael looked up when she walked in and Willow had to ask, "What are we doing with the Elves?"

"Meeting them," Michael replied.

Willow's mouth twisted a little as she looked at Michael, "That's all?"

Michael nodded. Willow let it drop and walked over to the Kopor Weaponry side of the room. She started to load up, she had also learned what weapons she needed and used best. Definitely not the little daggers meant to throw, she still couldn't throw those stupid things.

"You won't need very many weapons." Chelsea said, walking in and starting to load her belts with a few weapons. "Elves have an excellent defense system, if there was an attack, nothing will happen."

"Where's Chris?" Michael asked, looking around. Alicia looked up from the blade she was examining, looking around in worry.

"He'll come around," Chelsea replied, but she looked around as well.

~~~~~~

"Machire," Chris said, bowing deeply.

"Any news?" Machire asked.

"They're leaving Ganash Compound," Chris whispered, guilt throbbing every muscle in his body.

"Oh," Machire said, smiling slightly. "And where?"

"Elamore," Chris replied quietly. "To the Elves."

Machire looked into Chris's eyes for a long time before mentioning his servant to come. "Send in our strongest forces."

~~~~~~

"Wow!" Willow breathed the moment they were transported to Elamore. "This is...this is beautiful!" She felt like the pages of a fable had walked out and decorated the place. It was full of nature and friendliness. The marble walls light and absorbing sunlight from it's every corner. Vines twisted around pillars and shafts let in the rays of heat.

"Welcome, Ganashes." A man said walking up. The Elves weren't short like Willow had expected them to be, they had pointed ears but it was nothing the way Willow would've of imagined them. His hair was silver and long, down to his waist. His ears were almost like cat ears, pointy, yes, but also furry covered in the same color hair as the top of his head. His eyes were amber. His silver hair had a few braids and bright stones twisted into it, too. Evn with his cat-like furry ears, he was beautiful. The sunlight sprinkles over his silver hair, and she couldn't help but admit that he was beautiful.

"Wassup?" Alicia asked, throwing herself on what of the benches. Willow couldn't help but laugh at her casualty. The Elf was holding himself up right and seemed very proper with his welcome, and here was Alicia, slumping on the bench and saying, 'Wassup?'.

"Is this Willow?" He asked, politely nodding toward Willow.

Chelsea nodded, "Yup. Willow Glasspiers."

Willow smiled and held out her hand, the Elf looked down at it curiously. It took Willow a moment to realize he probably didn't shake hands. She let it drop and tried to conceal her embarrassment. She heard Michael and Chris laughing and she resisted the urge to glare at them.

At that moment a she-Elf walked in. She had the exact same hair and ears and eyes, but somehow Willow could see she was female. Mostly because she was wearing a long, white dress and her jaw was much softer than the man's. And also because her lips and eye-brows were much softer and fuller, too.

"How foolish of us," The man Elf said. "Let me introduce us. I am Memkis, King of Elamore. And this is my daughter, Elanora."

Elanora nodded towards them and smiled slightly. "What are a bunch of Ganashes and one Amnesian doing here?"

"We're showing Wi-" Chelsea started, but Alicia interrupted.

"Our kind are racist towards Amnesians and the children are coming home today. The racist ones don't want Willow around the children. The children are leaving tomorrow, again. And they want the children to have minimum amount of time around Willow." Alicia droned, her voice flat with annoyance.

Elanora laughed a little and looked over the group, "That is interesting." She said.

"You know," Alicia said, kicking herself up. "I am going to laugh if you-" She said, pointing to Willow. "Are the one. Because then they'll start worshipping you and regretting having the children stay away."

Willow didn't respond, so Michael did. "That would be quite a sight to see. They'd probably start lining the children up and asking for blessings."

Before anyone could respond, Memkis held out his hand to Willow. "I guess we shall show you around, then." He said. "Nero! Come here and show the lovely lady around our kingdom. I am sure she will fascinated."

Willow took the king's hand and the king gave her hand to Nero, who had just appeared there.

~~~~~~~

"So," Memkis said, sitting down at the large table. "Seat yourselves."

Michael sat as far away from the king, but not too far because he didn't want to insult him.

"Rumors have spread that Ms. Glasspiers is the daughter of Machire?" He said, bluntly. Memkis has always been bold and to the point.

"They are true," Chelsea replied. "Well, we have no proof. But, Willow says she is."

Memkis folded his hands across the table. "What have we done now?" He asked.

The Ganashes around the table furrowed their eyebrows, "Nothing. Why?" Chelsea stuttered in surprise.

"Do you really think I am that ill minded?" He asked. "You have led Machire's daughter into our chasm so she could learn the secrets of our covenant because you wanted revenge. I can rest you assure that that won't happen. Nero is only leading her in public places, not private."

Alicia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, we would send one girl in to find all the Elves' secrets. If we wanted revenge we would of attacked."

Memkis eyed Alicia for a moment, "I am not sensing any falsehood out of you, young Ganash. So I choose to trust you. But, if you do think this is a practical joke and fun revenge, rest assured that our revenge won't be all that fun at all."

"You sense no falsehood because there is none, King Memkis." Chelsea said. There was a long quiet silence.

"There had better be none." Was all he replied.

~~~~~

"And this is the ball room." Nero said, holding the massive doors open. Willow walked in, and gasped. She thought the Ganash ball-room at CarvesWay was as big as it got. She was wrong. This was much bigger, and much fancier.

Willow yelled 'hello' and it echoed down the large room. She was so caught up in the massiveness of the place she wasn't listening to the bells ringing outside. Nero roughly grabbed her by the arm and ran her out without a word. "What's going on?" Willow asked, urgently.

"Emergency bell." Nero said. "We're being attacked." He led her down multiple hallways before throwing her inside a room. "For safety reasons, milady, I must leave you in here. Orders from King Memkis."

"Wha-" Willow said, but it was too late, he was already out. Willow didn't hear him lock the door, but she knew it was closed. Even though it was pointless, she hurled herself at the door. A sharp pain coursed through her arm, but she didn't care she needed to get out. She hurled herself again, and again, and again. Nothing, the door wouldn't even budge. With a sound of annoyance she ran to the window.

This wasn't some mini invasion. It was massive, there were black creatures coming from every angle. It was like a black cloud, eating everything in it's way. She could see the army of Elves, their silver hair gleaming in the sunlight.

It seemed all the Elves were out with their bow and arrows and elegant swords. She frantically looked around for black clothing in the crowd, but they were nowhere in the crowd. Were they in the same situation as her? She watched helplessly as they surged over the walls of Elamore and before Willow could blink, some buildings were on fire.

Willow woke up from her gaze when she noticed them climbing the buildings, breaking windows and entering. Her hands reached for her favorite blade, it was light and agile. Not very strong like the Armours blade, but it was easy to maintain.

She backed up to the window, anticipating the words.

The girl took a deep breath.

I have been training for a month, I can do this. She thought to herself. I hope