Godspark

The wind howls, a chorus to the earth's relentless pull. His voice, raw with emotion, cracked as internal conflict raged. Fear, a venomous serpent, coils around his heart, suffocating the fragile bloom of joy. Escaping one peril, he stumbles into another. His hair dangles upwards as his eyes set on a familiar view while dawn breaks, painting the horizon in hues of gold and rose, a beauty not to be appreciated as his life hangs in a balance.

"I am here again," he realises, as he falls from the skies where he came from. He was just about to be killed and now he finds himself falling leagues above the earth, he crosses his arms around his chest and closes his eyes, he imagines the fall and hopes like last time he will find himself on the shores again.

He feels a rough substance under his feet, a chillingly familiar sensation. He blinks, disoriented, finding himself inexplicably back on the very beach where his new life began. The beach of his rescue, of Rand, of the unlikely companions he found. "How?", he mutters, the question echoing in his mind. One moment plummeting through the air, the next here.

A voice cut through his bewilderment, "Stop there," a figure emerges, clad in gleaming armor, followed by Shea, who with unnerving efficiency, looses an arrow. Kane, with a move born of instinct dodges the arrow and vanishes, leaving his pursuers staring at empty air.

The stifling heat of the cave echoes the fiery devastation around. Fields, once blessed with flowers of colour, now smoldered, smoke choking the air. Elven captives, bound and broken, watch their brethren fall beneath the onslaught. Some fight back, desperate and defiant, but their resistance is futile. Then, like a phantom, Kane emerges. His eyes catch Emilia, amidst the chaos, her terror a stark contrast to the leering faces of her tormentors. He unleashes a fury that belies his slight frame. His feet are fast and his fists are brutal, he becomes a whirlwind of motion, a protector incarnate, shielding Emilia from this storm of violence.

They swing their blades but he dodges them like it's child's play before knocking them out with his fists. He helps Emilia up, "We have to go," he says, "Wait," Emilia calls out, she runs over to one of her dead comrades and pulls off a blue gem from his hand. "Come with me," she holds his hand and leads him towards the stream. Kane can only follow as he watches this beautiful place become a ruined paradise.

"You," a deep voice calls out and Kane does not like who he sees behind the voice, the hooded man with red gleaming eyes, Anarchy gives chase from a distance. Emilia begins to recite strange words as they run towards the stream, the blue gem shines brightly as she speaks. Kane can see Anarchy getting closer behind them, he slaps his hand on the ground and the earth beneath takes a pointy shape and begins to move toward them but it is not enough.

A blue light from the gem envelopes them as they jump into the stream just missing the pointy edge of the earth that attacks them. Anarchy reaches the stream but they are gone, he places his hand on top the waters and watches it as it freeze over. "Find them," he orders.

They are moved fast underneath the water like a giant wave was behind them, the waters push them through underground channels with a speed that blurs everything around them. Kane almost panics as he expects water to rush into his nostrils and lungs but he is untouched. The only thing he feels beyond the aggressive force that propels them through the water is Emilia's soft hand. They move fast as the sea currents rises, lifting them from underneath the water and in one massive tide they are pushed out of the seas and onto shores where they both lie with their backs, breathing heavily like the air in their lungs had left them.

A cold breeze comes with the morning sun caressing their feet while their toes curl under the cold, Kane turns to face Emilia who lies on her back breathing hard. Their hands are still intertwined as they catch their breath, "Are you alright?" he asks, she tries to answer but fumbles the words as tears quickly runs down her eyes, they release each other's grip as she cries. Her wet clothes stick tightly to her body and Kane notices how blessed she is in the front, again. He sighs, it is not the time for such things he concludes but does not know how to comfort her.

He hugs her and she buries her head in his chest, "My people…" she cries, "My family…". Kane tries to feel what she feels, to understand but the emotion is fleeting, he can't feel the any sense of loss, like he has never experienced such before but he knows it cannot be a painless affair. Proof? Emilia's tears.

They stay on the shore for a while until Emilia calms down but that doesn't mean luck has suddenly smiled on them. As if on cue, the moment they stand on their feet, armed men surround them, pointing swords and spears at them. Kane grits his teeth, after what he has faced recently he can tell that he can take a few of them, maybe all but not with Emilia beside him. She could get hurt, he wishes he could just disappear like he did but even now he doesn't know how that works.

"We got two fine pieces here, don't we boys?", one of the men says. He wears an old looking armour and holds a whip in one hand, "White hair, blue eyes, what a specimen" the man says before turning his eyes to Emilia, "And what is this? An elf? A dark elf? I thought they were a myth. Boys we are about to have a big payday, tie them up" he orders.

Kane grits his teeth and clenches his fists, this was not supposed to happen. They had just escaped with their lives and now they are about to be captured for unknown reasons. "What the hell is wrong with this world?", he looks up ahead and wishes he could run but no, he decides to bide his time for Emilia's sake.

"We won't resist, just don't hurt her" he says before receiving a blow to his gut, "Sure, we hear you" his assailant laughs as they put both of them in chains.

If this is the destiny of the chosen one, is it really worth it? Would it have been better for him to remain dead? Kane's adventure so far, does not please him.

"Move it," they push them forward. They notice the stony floors of the shores but what catches their eyes the most is the number of chained people they see as they go further away from the sea.

A good breeze blows with it a bad stench, they see men, women and children dressed in tattered clothes with chains around their limbs and neck. Some stand on a raised platform while others make a bid, "This is a slave market," Kane realises. He pauses when he sees other strange humanoid creatures; men with tails and animal ears, some with pointy ears like Emilia's, elves but none with the colour of her skin.

Strange beasts as well are held captives in cages, "Welcome to Slave Harbour. Someone cover her up, this one is too precious to put on display. We will have to wait for important buyers to arrive," the man with the whip says. He seems to be the leader of this group.

"What is this place? It feels very different from what I am used to, funny since I don't remember what I am used to," Kane thinks. They begin to pass the bidding spot just behind the crowd as they bid for a slave, things get rough as an argument brews and the slave buyers begin a fight, fortunately or unfortunately someone from the crowd throws a stone which hits one of their captors; "How dare you?" he joins in the fight. 

Kane and Emilia are soon covered by the madness and the cloth around Emilia is pulled off, "What is that?", someone notices and the fight comes to a pause.

The scattered sounds of numerous feet stop as all admire the captive, admiring her endowed body while wondering what kind of creature she is. Kane notice that even the elven slaves look perplexed by Emilia's presence then he remembers what their captor said, he thought dark elves were a myth.

"We will take this slave," "Over our dead body," a fight is brewing up and Kane gets closer to Emilia just in case. For good reason as swords are drawn and clashed against each other. Even with chained arms Kane manages to fight off anyone that comes close to Emilia. A man holding a spear charges but he slips past the spear and jumps up, using his knee to send the man flying upwards and down to the ground. More charges but he protects Emilia and only stops when an explosion is heard.

Everyone quiets down as a man comes forward with two armoured men and two women in a uniform attire. "Lord Barabas," whispers say.

 A red glowing light floats in the hands of one of the women while the guards stand ready to pull their blades, "What is this?" The man says. He stands tall at 6'6ft with broad shoulders and thick black skin. Compared to the slavers and the slaves his attire looks grand, much too grand to be here.

His gaze, a predator's appraisal, fixed on Emilia. He closes the distance, looming over her, his hand a vase around her face, his thumb gently tracing the length of her ear, "This one comes with me," he declares, his voice a low growl. The slaver, whip coiled around his wrist, scoffs. "Apologies lord, but surely you jest. This beauty belongs to us and she is not sold cheaply". 

Barabas tosses a heavy leather pouch at the slaver's feet, contemptuous gesture, "Ten gold coins should be more than enough," he say and turns away. A triumphant glint in his eyes, but his guards are intercepted as they move to claim his prize. Kane stands before them, a silent, imposing barrier.

His brows almost come together in a frown while his deep blue eyes hold an emotion even he did not expect, "You are not separating us," he says with clenched fists and a stiff jaw. Lord Barabas rubs his beards before showing a devious smile, "Separate them,".