"Isa...why did you just suddenly leave me like that? I always pursued you, I waited, even when you chose others before me. You were the first elf to accept me in this place."
A large elf man is laying on his back surrounded by complete darkness.
He has a large build, shoulder-length black hair and piercing gold eyes. His face is well defined with a chiseled jawline and noticeable beard.
The sorrowful man looks into his mind as he reflects the recent events in his life.
"Why does this feel like its all a fleeting dream?" As he questions the reality of the transparent essence around him, and in his deep thoughts, a scene keeps replaying in his mind.
A beautiful woman with long, fine, platinum hair and hazels eye with a beauty mark below her left eye looks at him with a hollow expression.
"Many pursue my hand Firion, a simple military captain like you is just beneath me. I was happy when I became your first, but as you grew older you do not seem as desirable anymore, look at how youthful I still am. Have you seen baron Adan? He's a young man who asked me for his hand! Why would I stay with a forest elf like you? I cannot sully my more pure bloodline with yours." She explains in an icy voice.
Firion eyes widened and looked at her, the woman who he had been with for nearly 200 years.
He could remember when he was a crying child who lost his home, his parents, and how he came to a foreign land as an outsider; throughout his life he was given cold stares, but he remembers the warm eyes of a kind girl who was the first person to extend a hand out to him.
Isa a girl who he would run and play with and share his secrets with, but even though he always loved her, she would keep him at arms length as she pursued others as they became adults.
Only when her heart was broken could she see him as a possibility to fall back on.
He pleaded, "Isa please listen to me! I have a pension saved up, soon we can afford a small plot of land and perhaps start a farm and maybe even a family...."
But she held up her hand.
She sighed in frustration, "You see this is why I cannot be with you anymore. You don't have enough for someone like me! Your status is not worthy. Countless men still pursue me! My value is far too high for such narrow dreams when I can be living in the Solstrum highborn caste of this land! What more can someone like you have to offer?"
Firion just stared back at her, he kept wondering what happen to the kind girl who he grew up with.
"Anyways Firion..." she continued. "Please dissolve your previous marriage proposal. I am asking you nicely because everyone will think I am an adulterous woman who trades men on a whim when I am only seeking the best opportunity for my future."
"Isa...if you were never serious about me...then why didn't just reject my engagement offering if you wanted to be with Adan so badly? He only proposed because he saw me offering my feelings to you, but you....GYAH!??!!" but he was interrupted when Isa suddenly through something at this eyes.
He collapsed to his knees as a horrible, burning pain destroyed his vision and everything became a blur.
"ISA!!?! WHY?!?!" He cried desperately.
But then he suddenly felt a sharp pain pierce from behind as blood erupted from him mouth!
The assault did not stop there! Soon multiple arrows pierced at his armor's blind spots.
He fell to the ground, barely still alive as he heard someone's approaching footsteps.
"Ah! Poor Firion. The humble forest elf who became a renowned captain for his heroic deeds! If only you knew your place you filthy peasant!" The arrogant voice mocked him.
He felt someone's foot on his head, but he already knew who it was.
"Adan...why do you hate me so much? Was Isa's hand not enough for you?" he gurgled.
The tall, yet lanky elf with tan hair and green eyes pressed his foot more into his head.
"You know Firion, that engagement you offered Isa destroyed her chance with marrying me...everyone would think she is a harlot who callously trades between men, but if her betrothed had an unfortunate accident what do you think would happen?" He sneered.
"Adan...do you just hate the fact...that I achieved my merits through hard work...rather than born into such privileges?" The wounded elf replied.
The veins on the nobles head began to stick out, but he merely walked away before he gave the guards a command.
"Throw this peasant over the bridge. Scum like him will never understand their place in society." Adan snarled.
Firion could feel multiple hands dragging him, but he did not react, he was not gonna let his murderers see his anguish as they tossed him over the side.
("Strange...why do these events feel like they already happened? While I know I should be landing in a river it feels more like I am falling into darkness.") He muses to himself as the events feel similar to what has already happened.
But even though everything feels like a vivid dream, the pain of this memory still feels very real. Its almost like a haunted memory that one would suppress due to its unforgivable cruelty.
But suddenly Firion feels something warm wrap around his head.
"Its...okay...I'm here for you...its just a bad dream...please just wake up!" echoes a familiar voice.
This voice, it was a woman's voice, but it was not Isa's, no it was a kind voice that felt so familiar.
The elf finally began to realize what was going on and suddenly his injuries vanished as he opened his eyes to a pair blue eyes staring back at him.
A beautiful young lady with auburn, red hair and blue horns that he quickly recognized.
"Kaida? Ugh..." He moaned in discomfort.
She had actually put her lap underneath his head to give him better support as she stroked his face tenderly.
"I'm here Firion. You suddenly started sweating and shaking in your sleep, so I can tell you were having a nightmare, but you scared me when you did not wake up! No matter how much I nudged you!" She cried as she hugged him.
"That's right, it really was a fleeting dream, or a horrible memory that I am trying repress." He mumbled.
Kaida then hovered him and gave him kiss like he did for her when she felt scared.
Her lips alone felt like medicine to Firion as their tongues intertwined naturally around each other's.
Suddenly a light begin to creep out in the distance. He remembered where he was now, he and Kaida are camping on the side of a mountain as they fled their home as pursuers were after his new wife.
He slowly brought himself up as he looked around, thankfully all it was all a nightmare built from terrible memories.
("Adan...Isa...they will probably feel the full force of the archduke's power for meddling.") he thought quietly.
He then looks at his sworn lover and embraces her as she instinctively hugs him back.
"Firion...thank you...for staying with me." She cooed.
"No, Kaida...thank you...for finding me that day." He said as he held her tightly. "Your my beacon of hope."