Tainted Hearts

[MamaBearJade 2090]

Thomas was on his way to becoming a scholar and a swordsman when he and his childhood friend find themselves in deep trouble after they run into a slave. The world around them begins to crumble. Thomas finds himself in the middle of a scourge plot that could lead to the end of Anthos itself. Does he have the strength to save his friends and family or will he lose it all to the scourge. Read and find out.

Prologue

The sky flashed as lightning tore through the clouds, ripping them apart and spilling their blood. Rain fell heavily from the wound as the rolling crack of thunder bellowed into the howling wind. Rivers began to swell, lapping hungrily at the roads and bridges, scaring travelers back to their homes. Another blinding flash of light illuminated a single figure along the road, the cloak it wore torn and soaked through, providing very little protection. The wind battered and bruised the figure as they slowly limped their way towards sanctuary. Even its pursuers knew better than to follow.

The gates were not far now from their sight. A rattling breath escaped their lips as the wind whipped the hood off their head with force. The figure gasped as her platinum blond hair whipped her blood stained cheeks. “Not much further.” She muttered, her words stolen by the wind the moment they leave her bluing lips. She stumbled on slowly as she finally found the steps towards the temple. A wail began to break through the noise and the young woman turned her bright green eyes towards it.

“Shhh, little one…We are almost there…” she rasped. The wind blew her hair around visciously revealing clipped ears. Slowly the wind died down as she made it into the temple and slumped against the wall. The wailing now louder in the silence. The young elven maiden smiled softly as she shifted her robes to reveal a tiny infant. It’s brilliant blue eyes shimmered under silver hair. “Shhh, you will be safe here.” She pressed her face to the infant and began to sing gently.

“Hush my child go to s-“ She winced as a stabbing pain shot through her. Her eyes looked down at her blood and rain soaked cloak. She shook her head and continued to sing softly to the child. Her eyes dulled as continued to sing gently to the infant. A small child peeked his head around to look at the elf before quickly vanishing. His presence going unnoticed by the mother as she sang softly to the infant. Slowly silence filled the room.

The storm slowly died down, leaving much of the land swollen and seeping from the torrent of rain that tore through the lands. The steady drip of water hitting puddles from trees and rooftops was all that was heard in the stillness. Nothing stirred in the darkness left by the storm. A sudden cry began to rip through the silence, scarring many of the animals that had hidden away from the rain. Its shrill shrieks echoed through the valley and into the temple.

The elf sat still, not moving to silence the sound as the infant in her arms shrieked. Slowly the footfalls of an elderly man was heard, followed by the young boy. The elder stopped a moment before turning to the boy, ushering him back into the depths of the temple. Without a second thought the boy had vanished leaving the elder with the elf. Slowly his feet pulled him closer to the wailing child. He took a moment to look it over before reaching down to pick it up.

His eyes glancing to the elven woman. “She will be safe here.” He vowed. Without a second glance, he turned away with the infant to head back into the temple. The woman, nothing more than a statue, surrounded by blood and water. She was gone, far enough even he could not save her.

 

Chapter 1 ~ The Runaway

The scorching sun burned the back of his neck. Slowly he crept forward, the blistering sand clinging to his hands as he kept low, stalking his target. His soft chocolate brown hair clung to his face as he moved ever so slowly forward. Each finger dug into the sand, searing in pain as he crept forward silently. Next to him was a young elfess, still in her human years. Her long dirty blonde hair was tied back in a tight French braid, leaving only a small tuff of bangs over her light caramel eyes. Slowly they glanced over, the sun kissing her tanned skin.

Without a word, the two turned towards their target. A clan of orcs. Their large sage green bodies painted in red war paint as they huddled by a small pit. Their boisterous laugh echoed over the desert as they held spears near their side. “Thomas.” The young elfess hissed under her breath. “Do you really believe she is here?” She turned her eyes to him, pinning him with a worried stare. He nodded at her with a kind smile. Slowly he put his hand to her cheek and rubbed some of the sand off it. “Kiana, she is here. I know it.”

Without a word, the two stalked closer to get a better look, hiding behind a cactus farm. One of the orcs began speaking in blah, making it hard to understand what was being said. “Ztund lat mizrabul twiggeh snaga!” The two watched in silence, unsure what was happening until a hand raised from the pit. Slowly the occupant stood, revealing a young elfess. Her long silver hair glowed gold in the sunlight. Her skin was patched, much like a pinto. Grey with splotches of pale golden skin. She stood shakily in the pit as one of the orcs roared at her, ordering her slightly.

A hiss escaped from the lips of Thomas as recognition flooded him. “Is that her?” he faintly heard Kiana ask with baited breath. He knew it was her. That was the girl they were looking for. Slowly Thomas turned to Kiana and nodded. He closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to remember the plan. “Are you really ready for this?” he asked worriedly. As he opened his eyes, he noticed she was not even looking at him. The roar of angry orcs brought him straight out of his thoughts. Turning his attention he watched as the painted elfess ran towards the desert, two orcs hot on her trail.

The howl of wolves told Thomas that they had released their wolves. It was now or never if they were going to get her alive. Thomas quickly got to his feet and raced along the ridge of the sand dune. His dark sapphire eyes searched the sand for the girl, trying to keep her in his sights as he reached back and drew his long sword. The cacti quickly thinned out and he found himself running side by side with the young painted elfess.

The sound of yelling neared as he reached out, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer. “H-Hey!” she yelled, her bright turquoise eyes widening. He said nothing as the thundering feet of orcs gained on them. The hot breath of wolves nipped at their necks. It was then he heard the cry of one of the wolves as something whizzed past his ear and into the cranium of one of the two lure wolves, killing it within seconds. He dared a look behind and quickly regret it. Shoving the elfess to the side, he felt the searing pain of large teeth tear into his flesh.

The ground soon vanished from below him as the two ton beast threw him in the air like a treat. He turned seeing its gaping mouth, ready to catch him and tear him to pieces. A streak of white proved to be his salvation as an arrow struck true through the beast’s ear and into its brain, dropping it moments before he landed with a thud on the terrible beast. His eyes looked for the source, spotting the young Kiana standing on a nearby dune, the sun blazing behind her like the wings of an angel.

He smirked and stood, feeling the blood ooze down his left arm. The orcs nearing, two large, green orcs. His long sword prepared and his eyes narrowing. A battle cry left his lips as he charged at the two orcs. Faintly aware of the young slave’s eyes on him, he ducked under one orc’s club, barely avoiding the spear of the other. He turned and slashed at the nearest orc, satisfied as his cold steel sliced through the thick flesh of the orc, severing the tendon in its knee.

A roar escaped the large orc as it fell, crippled by the injury. Thomas smiled, but quickly learned he was relishing his victory too much when he felt the large sausage sized fingers grab his injured shoulder. He turned, catching the tip of the spear out of the corner of his eye. The grip tightened and the spear surged forth towards him. Crimson stained his cheek and the sand below his feet. The spear tore through flesh and a cry echoed out into the scorched land, soon followed by the roar of an orc.

 

Chapter 2 ~ The Mali Strength

Thomas’s eyes widened as he fell back. Blood leaked down from her face. Her turquoise eyes widened before closing. The whizzing of an arrow distracted him as the young elfess fell into his stunned arms. A smile brightened his features as he watched Kiana’s arrow strike true and embed deep into the skull of the orc, felling it behind him. His arms curled around the now unconscious slave. Slowly, he turned his attention to her. “Kiana!” he called as he slowly stood. Crimson flowed from her face, marking where the spear had torn through her darkened flesh. “We need to go!”

Standing, he turned to his partner. She nodded and looked over the young elfess. “She doesn’t seem to be too injured.” She said as he moved closer “I will see what herbs I can use to fix that.” The elfess placed a gentle hand to the girl’s cheek and smiled. “I am glad we finally found her Kiana.” Thomas said as he walked beside her, holding the girl close. “The monks missed her dearly.” With the hot desert quickly falling to the darkness, of night and the lights of the dwarven outpost within view, Thomas felt they could finally get some rest.

The tavern was lively and he was shocked it did not wake the sleeping girl in his arms. The dwarves were busy drinking to their hearts content. An elderly dwarf, Thundil Stonebeard, sat at the tavern counter. He passed around mugs as the dwarves hooted and hollered at the scantily clad mali’ker women who danced before them. Thomas shook his head and pulled out a small silver cross. Kissing it gently he stuffed it back into his shirt, fully aware of the dirty stares he was getting from Kiana.

“Wut cun ah get ye?” Thundil asked behind his scraggly black beard. His hair speckled with grey showing his age. “Ye arnt frum aruund heer ar ye?” Thomas slowly stepped forth, showing the injured girl. “Just a room for the night would be perfect.” He whispered just loud enough for the aging dwarf. With a curt not, he was quickly around the counter and leading the two to a room. “Ef ye breng meh truble, nooh ah'll cut yer ears daggeh ear'd!” Thundil grumbled sounding more drunk than sober. “Et will beh tu sixteh fer ah ruum.”

Thomas nodded and pulled out some coins and tossed them to the elder dwarf without counting it. He watched in amazement as the dwarf tossed it between his two dark calloused hands, before looking over. Without another word he turned and headed off, obviously content with the weight of the pouch. “How much did you give him?” Thomas heard Kiana hiss into his ear. “Three hundred fifty.” He smirked when he heard Kiana gasp. Slowly he moved to the bed and set down the injured girl. “Kiana. Focus for now, alright?”

Thomas slid himself to one side, holding the young elf’s painted hand while Kiana began pulling out various herbs and a small container with some ointment. Slowly her eyes opened and she began her work. Thomas watched in awe as she placed the ointment over the wound, cleaning and disinfecting it. “You never cease to amaze me llhir.” He said with a chuckle as she began wrapping the eye with various leaves. His joy was short lived when she jabbed her small index finger into his wounded shoulder. “You let it get infected.” She growled slightly.

Embarrassed he chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “Hey, someone had to carry the damsel in distress.” He grumbled. He soon found himself backed into a corner. The room seemed to grow darker as Kiana neared with a needle and thread. “H-Hey! D-don’t be hasty!” he stammered. A small puppy like whine escaped him as she cornered him completely. “Remove your shirt.” She said. Obediently he pulled his torn shirt off his chest. Diverting her eyes from his nude torso, she stared at his injury. After a moment, she began to dig through her bag.

“Big baby.” Thomas heard as his eyes scrunched closed. He slowly opened them to see her tenderly clean his cut. “You really should be more careful.” The worry in her eyes and voice made his face soften. “I am sorry.” He said gently. “I will try to keep myself out of harms way and let the damsels get hurt inst-“ He cried out in pain as she ruthlessly stabbed him in the shoulder. “OWCH!” His eyes widened as he stared at her, horrified at how cruel she was jerking the needle in and out of his flesh, pulling the wound closed.

“I didn’t mea- OW!” The thread pulled tight and she bit off the end. She soon got up and slapped a lead on his arm like a band-aid. “What the feck?! Kiana!” He scrambled to get his shirt on and follow her but the look of death she gave him froze him in his tracks. With a very painful facepalm later, he slunk into the chair and looked at the young elfess still asleep in the bed. “I am an idiot…” he grumbled.

 

Chapter 3 ~ The Joys of the Snaga

Tap tap tap. Thomas slowly opened his eyes, not realizing he had fallen asleep at the bedside. His head quickly jerked up when he noticed the young painted elfess was staring straight at him from beneath her silvery golden hair. Slowly he straightened and spoke. “How are you feeling miss?” he asked, hoping not to scare her. The girl tilted her head before responding in a soft but happy voice. “Suna.” She chimed. Her eyes brightened and she quickly lunged at him, causing an “oomph” to escape him.

“H-Hi Suna…” he said as he lay on the floor. The young elfess sitting on his stomach. “I-I am Thomas.” Another series of “oomphs” escaped him as she bounced on him. “Tomtom!” she squealed happily as she bounced. Thomas shook his head and chuckled trying to get her off of him. The door opened and immediately, Thomas felt sick. He could only imagine what it looked like to her. The deafening crash of the plates she dropped confirmed his fear. “Hi! I Suna!” the painted elfess said. Her bright eyes looking at the door, completely unaware of what was wrong.

Thomas swore he could see death himself in Kiana’s eyes. “I-Its not what you think!” he gasped. Suna quickly bouncing off him to hug the taller wood elf. “Oh?” she asked. Kiana seemed to be oddly calm and it made Thomas’s blood turn to ice. “So you are telling me, she didn’t jump you in joy and you weren’t trying to get her off?” she asked. He could feel her eyes scrutinizing him. “If that isn’t what happened, then tell me.” Thomas blinked and for a moment he could not even breathe. A smirk soon graced the pink lips of the elfess as she pet the younger painted elf. “Was he trying to seduce you?” she asked in a teasing song-like voice.

Thomas quickly stood upright and marched towards Kiana just as Suna opened her mouth. A cry escaped the older woman as he grabbed her and threw her onto the bed. “Oh yes.” He said darkly. “I am trying to get any elven tail I can.” Suna cried scurried off to a corner to hide as he pounced on Kiana. The squeals and pleads leaving the elfess was music to his ears. He could feel eyes on him as he ruthlessly tickled Kiana. “Get her feet!” he called to Suna and within a moment Kiana was breathless. Feeling victorious and a bit exhausted, Thomas flopped onto the bed next to Kiana.

“Conceed yet?” he asked her with a playful smirk. Her soft pants echoed in the room, accompanied by the younger elfess’s own pants. “Y-yes…” Kiana breathed. “You are….a jerk…” Thomas smiled and chuckled as he slowly sat up. “Oh I know.” He said. He looked down at Suna as she sat beside the bed. “Welcome to the team Suna.” The young elfess smiled and jumped onto the bed between the two, snuggling up between them. Thomas smiled at the girl and pet her hair. A smile graced the lips of Kiana and he felt a tug in his heart.’

Slowly he sat up and fixed his clothes. “You are lucky I like you.” He said before turning to get the food Kiana dropped. After picking up the remnants of the food he head out. The drunken party seemed to have ended by the time he returned to the barkeep. “I need another order.” He said. The dwarf gave him a hard glare before heading into the back. Thomas looked around the tavern and felt something was off. The dwarves were gone, all but the elder innkeeper. His eyes gazed around the room, taking in each thing that was wrong.

The dwarves must have left in a hurry. The stools were over turned. Half full mugs had been tipped over, spilling their ale over the floor. His eyes soon fell upon something that caught his eyes and really made him worry. Gems. He knew the greedy little creatures would never leave precious gems lying around without a reason. Slowly he moved away from the counter and towards the main door. Thumps could be heard but they were dull, as if far away. As he neared the door, the sounds became clearer, more prominent through the stone. Battle.

Thomas grabbed the handle and threw open the door. Eight, nine foot tall orcs stood among the broken bodies of the dwarves. Their green flesh covered in blood from the small battle. The dark eyes of the largest orc fell onto Thomas and a roar escaped it. Without thinking, he threw the door shut and slammed the bar down. He turned and raced for the room where Suna and Kiana were in. “Thomas?” Kiana asked when he barged into the room wide eyed. “What’s going on?” His eyes stared at the two for a long moment before the words fell from his lips. “Orc Raid.”

Chapter 4 ~ Bloodrage

coming soon

 

 

~Characters~

Thomas Carteret

Kiana Vuln'ame

Suna

 

~Special Thanks~

Eladriendil ~ Orcish Translation (Ch. 1)

30326 ~ Dwarven Traslation (Ch. 2)

This story is something I had been thinking about for a few months and finally got around to making it. Please no flaming. Constructive criticism is appreciated. I will post when this story is updated. ^_^

[A Spooky Witch 156]

Oh that was very gripping, loved it and I cannot wait for more.

[Rissing 199]

Gogo, little child :3

[ℤ∃ʁ∅ 823]

loves it <3

[MamaBearJade 2090]

Chapter 1 is up~

[Criala 729]

This was very well written, and I eagerly await for more to be posted! :)

[MamaBearJade 2090]

Chapter 3 is now up ^_^

[Knox213 10]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.