Just being a dark elf in Warhammer

Clarkalond, a city full of fear and despair, is filled with gloom and evil from the ground to the sky.

A towering black spire stands proudly in the center of the city, like a sharp blade piercing the sky, announcing the power and majesty of the city. Around the spire, jagged buildings scramble to occupy the limited space, as if trying to grab every inch of the sky, reflecting the tension and crowding inside the city, but no spire dares to compete with the towering spire.

A thick high wall surrounds the city, and the wall is densely covered with cold and shining blades, crossbows and spikes. The weak sunlight reflects on the guards' spears, forming a slightly dazzling light, warning outsiders of the ruthlessness and danger here. But even this layer of fortifications and physical barriers cannot completely block the surging dark atmosphere in the city.

Outside the high walls is the outskirts of the city, where the layout is no different from other cities, with markets, temples, civilians' homes and military camps arranged so closely that they are almost crowded. On the surface, Clarkalond seems to have all the elements of a civilized city, but if you look deeper, the cobblestone streets and black roofs of this city are always shrouded in an indescribable sense of evil, and the smell of violence and blood that is about to break out spreads in the air.

Eldan felt a cold chill deep in his soul. This city is full of an unnatural evil, as if every inch of land is nourishing destruction and conspiracy. Under the gloomy sun, this city is like a huge shadow, quietly planning a plan of destruction.

On the outskirts of the city, large vineyards came into his sight, with deep red grapes adorning the vines, like coagulated blood. He knew that the purpose of these grapes was not to make ordinary fine wine, but to make blood wine, the symbol of Duruchi's cruelty.

Groups of human slaves were driven between the vineyards, bending over and picking grapes numbly. Beside them, the Duruchi soldiers held swords and whips, coldly ensuring that every slave was working to the best of his ability. The soldiers with cruel smiles were ready to use violence to maintain their rule at any time.

His eyes turned to the farther place, and he saw large tracts of land being ruthlessly plundered and destroyed. Axes and saws kept echoing and shaking, and large tracts of trees fell down in response, as if the earth was groaning in pain. Broken wood piles were like silent sentinels, witnessing Duruchi's large-scale logging operations. The fallen wood was continuously transported to the city or pushed into the river to provide new ships for Duruchi's plundering fleet.

Farther away, endless plantations stretched to the end of the field of vision, and large tracts of wheat and other crops covered the ground. These plantations were not for the prosperity of the city, but to provide a steady supply of food for the war and support Duruchi's war machine. He knew that war and destruction were growing from this land, and as time went on, the power of this city would become stronger and stronger until it swallowed everything.

"Northeast direction." The shadow warrior whispered.

Eldan's eyes followed the direction of the shadow warrior's finger, and soon he saw the target of the raid - the docks and shipyards of Clarkalond. Clarkalond is famous for its notorious docks and shipyards. The dock area slowly extends to the Sea of ​​Evil and Resentment, and the entire coastline seems to be swallowed up by the maze-like structure of endless ships and docks.

The masts of the ships are like dense forests, groaning in the breeze, and the sails sway slowly under the gloomy sky. Most of these ships are born for war. Duruchi uses them for plunder and attack. They wander in various waters like dark shadows, bringing destruction and fear.

The sounds from the docks came one after another. The boatmen and slaves either dragged heavy wood and ironware to repair the ships that were about to depart. Or they carried goods on their shoulders and transported resources to the ships continuously. The entire dock was shrouded in a solemn and depressing atmosphere.

"What do you see?"

"Ships, lots of them, seemingly making final preparations before sailing? And... there's something behind that ridge, but I can't see it clearly."

"Look again, it's not a ridge!"

"Asuryan!" Eldan held his breath and observed again. Soon, he realized what the problem was. What he had initially mistaken for the Bay Ridge was actually something else entirely. With a breath of cold air, his pupils suddenly expanded.

That's not a ridge! That behemoth is the terrible Black Ark.

The mountain-like castle floats on the sea, maintained by the most powerful magic. It is a sinister floating fortress, tower upon tower, spire upon spire, made of stones torn from Ulthuan thousands of years ago. An entire army is stationed within it, and thousands of slaves are imprisoned in its dark depths.

The Black Ark is the most terrifying and powerful ship in the world. Some people say that the volume they show on the water is only a small part of their true size. There are huge arched caves hidden below the waterline, inhabited by terrible monsters, slaves and all kinds of evil witchcraft. He is not sure whether these rumors are true or not, but what he knows is that wherever the Black Ark goes, it must be full of unimaginable horror and death.

"Only the Nagor of the Bale family can be so huge."

Eldan nodded, but soon he realized that something was wrong. The moment he reacted, he stopped observing and turned to look at the shadow warrior.

"You..."

Just as he was about to ask, he heard movement behind him. He turned around and saw Kelly approaching on his hands and knees. His brother was almost at his side, and it was only then that he noticed any movement. He concealed his jealousy of Keliel's gifts with anger at disobeying his orders.

"Kain's blood! Is that the Black Ark?" Kelil cursed.

"What are you doing here? I asked you to stay with other warriors!" Erdan ignored his brother's question and asked.

"Our soldiers don't need me to tell them how to prepare for battle. I want to see the enemy with my own eyes." Kelly waved his scarred hand and said disapprovingly.

"You'll see them soon, be careful what you wish for."

"It is a good thing to avenge my father. I have a lot of hatred to avenge." Kelly said while staring at the Tower of Destruction and the Dark Ark.

"We all have them!"

"Never forgotten, never forgiven."

The words of the shadow warrior interrupted the conversation between the brothers. Eldan knew that these words came from the cruel ruler of the Shadow King of Nagaryth, Aris Anar.

"How are we going to get close to them?" Kelil, who didn't understand the meaning of the shadow warrior's words, continued to ask.

"Face them head-on, raid there, or burn down their manor." The shadow warrior pointed to the newly built shipyard on the south bank just a short distance away, and then pointed to the plantation in the distance, saying bitterly.

"What about the northeast direction?"

"We came at the wrong time, and we came in the wrong direction. Now the Sea of ​​Resentment is not frozen, and we can't pass through the ice." The shadow warrior shook his head bitterly.

"Can't we cross that river?" Kelly, who was somewhat dissatisfied with the result, continued to ask.

"You could think of that river as the Ariel."

"You..." Kelly frowned and looked at the shadow warrior. He was very dissatisfied with the shadow warrior's words, but he also understood what the shadow warrior meant.

They came at the wrong time and in the wrong direction. From here to reach the northeast, which is also the other side of the river, you need to cross the city. This is something they can't do, so the only option left is to cross the ice, but the Sea of ​​Resentment has not yet frozen.

The last option left is to head upstream of the river and find a chance to reach the other side of the river, which may involve going deeper into the mountains further away. But this is simply not possible, and the team might be able to advance through the forest, avoiding detection by the plantation's guards. But they didn't have that kind of supplies, and returning after the raid was a big problem. Their team only had a hundred people, and they couldn't face the dragnet set by Druch.

"Under cover of darkness, enter the harbor on the south shore, burn as many ships as possible, create bloody chaos, and then retreat." Erdan set the tone for the raid, abandoning the option of burning the plantation.

"Druch will pay in blood for what they took from me." Kelil nodded in agreement, unconsciously rubbing his burned hands as he spoke.

Looking at Kelil's burnt hands, Erdan fell into bitter memories. He couldn't help but recall the day Kelil and Rianna galloped through the gate of the family villa on horseback. Both of them were seriously injured, but Kelil However, Rianna was brought to safety and warned of Druch's impending surprise attack before she collapsed.

Word of Kyriel's heroic deeds protecting Rhyanna quickly spread throughout Tal Aliel's court, and Kyriel's reputation as a hero was established.

No one mentioned why Keliel took Rianna to the top of the crater, no one talked about how stupid it was to approach the Eagle Gate, no one cared, they only cared about Keliel's heroic deeds. Over the next few weeks, he watched as Kelly and Rianna grew closer, and he was powerless to stop Kelly's unbridled charm from stealing the heart of the one he loved.

"Let's go, we should go back." Erdan said suddenly, breaking away from the bitter memories, then turned around and crawled, preparing to join the other warriors.

When he returned to the team, he looked at the proud and elegant faces of the warriors and felt inspired again. He knew that the warriors were prepared for the upcoming battle. Being able to penetrate deep into Druch's territory was an achievement enough, but soon they Another feat would be accomplished that would allow Druch to experience an attack from across the sea.

He issued the order quickly and efficiently, and within minutes the soldiers entered the final stage of preparations. Warriors braided iron rings into their long hair, which was a symbol of strength, power and nobility, as well as a mark of true warriors. The iron rings could ensure that the enemy's blades could not cut off their hair in the frenzy of battle.

As the day wore on and the sun set, he began to think about the coming raid, recalling Kelil's warning that he had been out of action for too long. True, he hadn't wielded a sword in years, but his best mentors had taught him, and he knew that when the blood flowed and the passion of battle swept through him, he would still be as deadly as ever.

As the twilight faded, the Shadow Warriors returned, telling Eldan it was time to go. But Erdan did not act immediately. Instead, he dismounted, drew his sword, knelt and recited the oath.

"I cry for you in the dark, and the tears you shed for us are the blood of elves. Elsa, I stand here, holding a sharp sword, Ulthuan will never fall!"

Though he was not the legendary keeper of knowledge and wisdom, the master of the art of war, the words comforted him and kept him focused on the slaughter that was about to unfold.

As the sun continued to set and the terrible darkness of Naggaroth began to encroach upon the world, the raiding party moved.

Kaelir prayed to Kurnoth, asking him to guide his sword and bless him to spend the night safely, even though he knew his hands would soon be stained with blood, he still asked for forgiveness. In the darkness, his prayers were not answered, but he felt the peace in his heart, knowing that his soul was ready for battle. His senses began to expand, and he could feel the breathing of the warriors, the tense anticipation, and the rapid neighing of the horses.

At the front of the team, Eldan had no second sight, but he could feel the strong soul of Kaelir, and the blessing of Kurnoth burned in his brother's chest. The Asur of the Kingdom of Arion worshiped Kurnoth, but in his brother, the fire of the hunt was stronger than he had ever felt in anyone before.

Yet, he felt something more than his brother's desire for revenge. Rough as they were, they held a strong fire of fear and desperation.

This force was charging straight at the group.

Eldan waved his arms and gave silent orders. As the Arion Reavers disappeared into the forest again, he crouched beside a tall tree and peered out of the dark forest. With good night vision, he easily penetrated the shadows and saw six skinny humans with bruises and scars running towards the forest.

Farther away, a group of dark riders on black war horses were chasing the fleeing slaves. One rider fired a hail of arrows from a crossbow, killing one of the fugitives. The slave had almost reached the edge of the forest, but he knew that the slave could not escape into the forest before the dark riders caught up. Soon, he stopped looking at the hunt because his peripheral vision caught a shadow warrior not far away raising his bow and aiming at the crossbow-shooting Druzy.

"No, stop! If we are discovered now, all our efforts will be wasted."

The shadow warrior hesitated for a moment and nodded, loosened the bowstring, and then ordered the other shadow warriors to do the same with some invisible and inaudible signal.

In the distance, the hunt was still going on. Instead of driving the escaped slaves back to the work team, Duruqi chose to surround and then slaughter them. The cruel laughter of Duruqi during the killing resounded, and they cut off the heads of slaves and hung them on their saddles. A few minutes later, everything was over, and Duruqi returned to the dark city in the distance with the bloody spoils.

Eldan breathed a sigh of relief. Those Duruqi were too focused on the bloody killing and did not notice them hiding within a hundred meters.

"This is too dangerous." When Duruqi left, Kelil came to Eldan's side.

"Indeed."

"We should have helped them."

"Help them? For what? Are you going to take them back to Tal Ailir as your servants? No, it might be a good thing for them to die here rather than continue to live."

"Perhaps, but I feel uncomfortable watching them die like this." Kellil's words were full of bitterness.

"They are just humans, a group of monkeys, Kellil!"

Eldan leaned against the tree and watched Kellil leave. Various emotions intertwined in his heart. In order to calm himself before entering the battle, he chose to close his eyes, but the last conversation with Rianna kept floating in his mind.

Two months ago, Ulthuan.

Lothern guards the entrance to the Ulthuan Inner Sea. As the capital of the Kingdom of Itain, it is a vast city, a prosperous city full of culture, art, poetry and trade, and the core of Ulthuan. It is built around a glittering lagoon, with tall spires framing the shore, grand palaces and elegant villas extending up from the coast, and white towers climbing gracefully to the foot of the distant mountains.

Eldan and Kelir set out from Tal Ailir a week ago, and three days ago passed through the golden gates, dotted with rubies, that separated the Inner Sea from Lothern. Although Eldan had come to the city more than once, the glory of Lothern still made him feel excited. The two walked along the Phoenix Avenue, which ran through the commercial district of the city, full of busy figures of merchants and shopkeepers, and merchants and customers exchanged pleasant bargains.

"We have important things to do now, brother, we don't have time to dawdle." Eldan saw Kelir stop, trade with the merchant, and buy wine. He frowned, and he was very dissatisfied with Kelir's behavior.

"There's always time to enjoy good wine, Eldan."

"Is that really good wine?"

"It's said to be wine from Athel Loren? Not bad, it's always good to try new things,"

"Athel Loren? The wine of our cousins ​​who live in trees?"

"Hiccup... Even though they live in trees, their wine is really good. If I have a chance, I really want to go and see it." Kelly raised the wine bag and took a big sip. After a satisfied burp, he handed the wine bag to Eldan while speaking.

"I don't need it. Have you forgotten why we came here?" Eldan shook his head and refused.

"I don't have one, brother, but we still have three weeks before we set sail for Naggaroth, can't we enjoy the city for a bit?" Kaelil shrugged as he took back the wine bag.

"Maybe, but I want to make sure we have all the supplies we need before that. We have a lot of things to prepare, food and water need to be prepared, weapons, armor and arrows also need to be purchased and loaded onto our ship. The Emerald Sea Family refused to provide a loan, and I need to find another way to get funds. All of this takes time. Who is responsible? Is it you? Huh? My brother?" Eldan's words were full of dissatisfaction and resentment.

"Where is Lady Marin? I remember..."

"She's not in Lothern, she and Finnubar went to Elsing Arwen! Are you drunk?" Eldan, a little impatient, interrupted Kaelil's irrelevant words.

"Okay, okay. Then we'll do as you say, brother. Isn't it better for us to act separately and complete our respective tasks?" Kaelil raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Well, go buy food, make sure it's enough for us to go back and forth to Naggaroth, and prepare two weeks' worth on land. Don't forget the food for the warhorse. You know how much food a warhorse needs to eat a day." Realizing that he was a little out of control, Eldan tried to calm down. He also knew that Kelil just wanted to stay away from him, but he didn't mind it.

"Horse feed? What a glorious mission." Kelil sighed.

"It's necessary! Go quickly, I don't want to see you before the sun sets, and you have to remember that our funds are not unlimited before we get a loan."

"I know, I know, I'm not a fool." Kelil took a step back and made a funny farewell gesture.

"Then I'll see you back to our residence at sunset, okay?" Eldan, who had calmed down, was once again provoked by Kelil's childish behavior. His body trembled, and he took a deep breath and tried to control himself.

He didn't hear Kelil's answer, because when he calmed down, Kelil had walked straight through the crowd and left. He let out a long breath and felt a sense of peace. He knew that Kelliel would definitely squeeze out some of the limited funds to spend on food or the tailor shop, but he didn't care because he could get a loan, and as long as Kelliel's departure could give him a moment of peace, it would be enough.

He closed his eyes and tried to let the hustle and bustle of Lothern soothe his soul. Although he knew that he would definitely attract a lot of strange looks by standing still with his eyes closed like an idiot on a busy avenue, he didn't care.

"Eldan? Eldan, is that you?"

Eldan opened his eyes and saw Rianna standing in front of him with a basket wrapped in linen in her hands. His heart jumped suddenly. Rianna was wearing a simple high-necked green dress with curling patterns woven with gold thread on the hem and cuffs. He subconsciously looked at Rianna's injured shoulder, but the skin was covered by the clothes. He remembered that Kelil had told him that the fashion of the season in Lothern was bold dresses that exposed shoulders and a lot of chest, but Rianna's dress did not reveal an inch of unnecessary skin.

"Sometimes it still hurts." Rianna said a little sadly after feeling Eldan's scrutiny.

"I'm sorry, Rianna, I didn't mean to..." Eldan apologized.

"Don't worry, Kelil quickly removed the arrow at the time, but Duruchi left me with an ugly scar, and I don't like to show it." Rianna said it calmly, very calmly, but her expression betrayed her.

"It's good to see you again, my lady. It's been too long since your last visit to Tal Ailir." Knowing that Rianna didn't want to mention the wound, Eldan tried to change the subject.

"I know, I wanted to come to your father's funeral, but... um..."

"I understand, your father brought your condolences, and we are very grateful. "

The words stopped abruptly, and the two fell into an awkward silence.

"Have you eaten? "Ryanna was the first to break the silence.

"No, not yet. I have a lot of things to deal with today and no time to eat." Eldan shook his head.

"Me too, would you like to have something to eat and drink with me? You're right, we haven't had a good talk for a long time." Ryanna extended the invitation.

"I am honored to have dinner with you, my lady. "Eldan wanted to refuse, but before he did, he thought of Kelly's advice that he could always find time to enjoy a good wine, especially with a beautiful lady. So he reached out his hand in response.

Ryanna smiled and accepted Eldan's outstretched arm. The two walked hand in hand along Phoenix Avenue, as if they were a couple taking an afternoon stroll.

Being with Ryanna made Eldan feel more peaceful than ever before. As he walked, he secretly glanced at Ryanna's face and recalled the time that seemed so long ago when he had touched Ryanna's skin and whispered a vow of love beside Ryanna's slender pointed ears...

The two walked in harmonious silence and turned into a narrow alley with many colorful awnings that provided cool shade for diners. Ryanna led him to a dazzling restaurant with a front made of polished colored glass pieces, depicting a beautiful pastoral scenery.

"I know the owner of this shop. He only sells the best honey cakes and the freshest sweets. In addition, he also has a friend who brought him Lauren Loren's dream wine..." Arriving at the entrance of the restaurant Finally, Rianna broke the silence and explained.

"Lauren Loren? No wonder." Erdan showed a look of surprise. He seemed to know why the Emerald Sea family was unwilling to provide loans. Soon, he responded, "I haven't tasted it before, but I heard that Very good indeed.”

"Then let's each have a small drink. You find a seat and I'll order."

A proud man with a strong sense of self-respect, Erdan should have ordered the food and wine himself, but he knew that, as an Asur who was clearly not from Lothern, he looked like a rube to the city's vendors.

He found an empty table against the wall, and then carefully observed the mosaic on the wall. He admitted that the mosaic was a magnificent work, but he felt that such a decoration was a bit too exaggerated for an ordinary store. However, having lived on horseback all year round, he didn't know much about the city's lifestyle, and it was hard for him to comment too much.

Rhiana soon returned, carrying a silver tray with delicious cakes dripping with honey, and two tall-necked slender goblets filled with sparkling wine.

"Mengjiu?"

"Yes, Dream Wine. It is said to be made from the water of the Demster River and the honeysuckle and jasmine flowers that grow there. It is very magical. Be careful, you can only drink it in small sips."

Erdan nodded and took a gentle sniff of the ethereal wine. The wine flowed like smoke in his glass, exuding the aroma of the ancient forest. Sweet and creamy, yet light and ethereal. After seeing Rianna's inviting expression, he took a sip. The taste was so sweet that it was almost unbearable. When he put down the glass and was about to say something, a picture suddenly appeared in his mind.

It was a beautiful forest of oak trees and sun-drenched glades inhabited by ancient treants, where unicorns and stags roamed. He could smell the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine, taste the salty sea breeze, and feel the breeze blowing over the hills.

"Good, right?" Rianna said with a smile.

"Yes... very good. I understand why I can only drink it in small sips." Erdan responded with a satisfied smile.

The dream wine successfully aroused his appetite. He quickly ate two pieces of honey cake, and then took another sip of the dream wine. This time he was prepared, but still captivated by its wondrous beauty. Tears gathered in his eyes. In a daze, he saw a beautiful face, but soon the face gradually disappeared and was replaced by Rianna's face. When he woke up, he pushed away the wine glass containing the remaining dream wine. The wine spilled on the table and evaporated like mist in an instant.

"Eldan? What's wrong?" Rianna asked with concern, reaching out to touch Eldan's hand.

"Nothing, this was a mistake!" Erdan said while retracting his arm.

"Error? What is an error?"

"Come here! Reopen those old wounds that should have been forgotten." Erdan pushed away the chair and stood up.

"No, Eldan, don't go, please. We should talk, we must," Rianna begged.

"Why?"

"Because before you set off for Naggaroth, there are some things that must be said clearly."

"Do you know my itinerary?" Erdan showed a surprised look.

"Kailil sent someone to my house to spread the word, saying that you swore a blood oath of revenge against Druch beside your father's coffin. He told me that you would come to Lothern and asked me to come." Rianna nodded. .

"Kailir asked you to come to Lothern, why? He didn't tell me about this."

"I saw him yesterday morning..." Rianna said as she reached out to the table.

Erdan swallowed. He saw a silver ring on Rianna's middle finger, with two intertwined hearts engraved on it. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. At this moment, the silver light stung. caught his eyes. He tried hard to control his emotions, but the anger and unwillingness in his chest surged like hot lava.

"An engagement ring? Kelly gave it to you?" He spoke with difficulty, his tone filled with endless loss and powerlessness.

"Yes, we exchanged engagement rings, and we will be engaged when he returns from Naggaroth. I will make a pilgrimage to Avalon, and we will be married in Tal Alil next year."

"Wedding? Are you going to marry Kelly?" Erdan laughed, but the laughter had no humor or joy, only paleness and weakness.

"Yes, I love him, and I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I can't change my feelings."

"You don't love Kelly! You are just fascinated by him. He saved your life. You think you should fall in love with him. Your heart is confused by his charm and recklessness. Listen to your voice of reason. You Think about it carefully, why are there scars on your shoulders? Why did you appear near the Eagle Gate? "Did you choose to go there?" A somewhat frantic Eldan yelled.

"Maybe you're right, but now my reason doesn't matter and my heart speaks louder."

Erdan's body was drained of strength in an instant, and he could not support himself to continue standing. His trembling hands frantically searched for the back of the chair. He didn't want to lose the last bit of face when Rianna fell.

When he sat back in his chair weakly, the bitterness that had been growing in his heart since his father was poisoned suddenly surged up in his heart. He wanted to vent, to hurt Rianna, to make Rianna feel the pain he was feeling now, but his strong self-control took over again, preventing him from saying things that he might regret later.

He sighed. In order to protect the territory and the family, he sacrificed everything, even his own happiness and love, and this was his reward? But he still couldn't hurt Rianna, doing so would be degrading himself.

"I loved you, Rianna."

"I know you loved me, Eldan, and I will always love you, but when Kaelil returns from the country of Duruchi, I will belong to him. If... if... I believe you will be a good husband, and I will be a good wife, but life often goes beyond our expectations. I'm sorry, but please... for my sake, don't hate Kaelil for this."

"I love you, and I won't fall in love with anyone else while I'm alive." Eldan nodded, stood up, and scattered the few gold dragons on the table. Then he bowed stiffly to Rianna.

"Eldan, wait..."

Rianna called out as Eldan turned to leave, but he did not look back. (End of this chapter)