Chapter 2 - The Mines of Arkun

The elf smiled faintly, however her eyes reflected a dull sorrow that seemed to have been eating away at her for a long time. She looked back down at the sketching quietly.

Valdier looked at the slaves as well. "Wise words. The emotional line that slaves have tends to be..rather fine. However I usually have slaves for a few weeks. If that. They usually sell quickly. I make them fear me. I tend to kill whomever tries to escape. Like I said, I do this for thrills."

Anariel continued to inquire with an enthusiastic interest. "Your kind is immortal?"
The tan man looks at the artistic elf. "The name's Amad, of the violet city of Arcanum."

The warden kept his eyes on the quarry, and then turned his gaze up towards the chain of mountains beyond. "Do you support the cause of the Axis, Valdier?"

The young Kamitsuno nodded. “Yes we are immortal, but not in the same way as elves. We live for 100 years in one body. When that vessel dies, our souls return to mother, Shiv, the Spirit Chasm. There we rest until summoned back into the world. This includes me and any other future Kamitsuno that will have mortal mothers and fathers.”

The elf shifted and leaned against the wall, "..My name is Vanessë Shadowpride." The elf looked down to start on a new drawing.

Valdier thought for a moment, "I'm not entirely sure as of yet. What is the exact cause of the Axis? What do you strive for, and what would you do to obtain that goal?" The High Elf looked away from the slaves to direct his attention to the warden.

"Then...you have experienced death? Oh my!" Anariel put her free hand up to her mouth. "What does it feel like for you?"
"Hmm...Vanesse. What a beautiful name for such a beautiful lass. How in the nine circles of Hell did you end up here?" Amad kicked a rock up from the ground, which flew straight up into the air and then down into his open hand, his arm never moving.

"For nearly seven thousand years, the world has been in a state of turmoil and division. The old alliances were broken, and this world was divided. Where once there was one human kingdom under a single king, there are now thirteen. The High Elves of old have grown weak, and the Vale Elves turned inwards, towards their forests. And then these Orcs stepped out of their caves far to the south, beyond the Shifting Sands." The warden paused, and then turned to Valdier. "This world has been at war because of its divisions. The Axis alliance...we are the true solution for peace. With the mightiest nation of men, and the all-dominating Awilixians leading the way, we are unstoppable. These immoral moves are a necessity towards true and lasting tranquility in the world. The old alliances shall be reforged by the hand of the new."

Fanawa wasn’t sure why but she smiled a little. The elf and her movements were kind of funny. “I wouldn’t know… this is my first lifetime ever. All Kamitsuno have been around since the very beginning of time, being reincarnated for centuries with all the memories of their past lives intact. I am the exception. I have no memories of past lives because I never existed until twenty years ago. The other races have the gift to constantly create new life and forge souls. Mortals live on through their descendants. They have no need to live on forever. In their own way… they are immortal too. My people do not have this gift. Every year, a soul is summoned into the womb of a female. Kamitsuno do not mate like the other races among our own, but it seems that we can adjust ourselves to breed with them. My father was the first one to ever engage in that strange… ritual. The details are very strange to me. I honestly do not understand it. It was through my mortal mother that I was created. A new soul, never touched by the Spirit Chasm… never reborn, never reincarnated… this is my first life and I intend to learn everything I can." She smiled. "But when I do die several decades from now... I'll tell you all about it when I am reborn for my first time. I wonder how that feels."

Vanessë blushed ever so slightly, "Well uh...I was arrested. I escaped however, but...they caught me again. I was put up for auction and so here I am." She worked on her new sketch, which was of a white Chimaera.

Valdier looked at the slaves again. "Hm. A valid goal. I usually do not concern myself with the inner dealings of the nations. I prefer...hands on work. However I see the positive outcomes that could arise if the Axis succeeds. So, yes. I support it."

"Oh wow, your race is so amazing! You're making me feel so dull!" Anariel laughed lightly.
"Arrested for what, being beautiful?" Amad kept his cheeky grin on, throwing a wink to the soft-spoken elf.

"Or so it is how the Emperor justifies our campaign. Do you want my honest thoughts?" The warden paused, his eyes on Valdier.

Fanawa smiled at the elf. She did not feel that way about her own race, but then again it was all she had ever known. “Tell me about your people. All I know is that you are immortal and my people respect you. They say you do not believe in Shiv or Sol’tyr, but you are helping them in your own ways.”

Vanessë scoffed quietly, "For thieving. Nobles tend to get testy when their things disappear overnight. It's how I make my living though. Only thing that I'm good at that can actually help me survive. I never steal from people that actually need their things mind you." She wiped her fingers on the frayed leather that her leggings were made out of.

Valdier looked at the warden. "I prefer honest thoughts over any other."

Anariel smiled in delight at Fanawa. "We are the children of nature, my friend. The trees and the animals were around long before our existence. We don't claim to truly know what created it all, nor what will become of it all. For this reason, many despise us, just for not hailing their deities as a necessary truth. Very few of us understand this hatred!"
"Well, judging from your artwork, you could make a living...could have made a living...in Arcanum. Why do you not return home, to the Vale? Surely it is easier to survive there than amongst the foolish, vain humans. Fucking idiots, the lot of us."

"Power is the driving force behind everything, Valdier. Some of us are well aware that the Emperor is only out to rule all of the world, but why should we truly concern ourselves with this? It is best to fight for the victorious side, and reap the benefits, rather than fight for the losing side because it appears virtuous, and fall." The warden stood silently upon his statement.

The Kamitsuno stretched out her legs in front of her, reaching down towards her feline like feet. “I do not understand how mortals think. I hope that perhaps one day I can, but I wonder if I would regret it if I ever did learn. Your mind is very beautiful and pure, Anariel. It makes me happy to be near you. You radiate so much positive energy. I do hope I can be like that someday. I wish my people have had more dealings with your kind, but I suppose we have had our hands full. We constantly watch for when the Su’nari will make their next move. We are begging the humans to trust us so that we may protect them from the exiles. We want to teach them that they are killing the planet and draining the Spirit Chasm of her life force. Their wars are tearing deep wounds into her and every day she grows weaker.”

Vanessë looked down, "I doubt I'm wanted in the Vale." She spoke again before Amad could ask another question, "My parents paid someone to drop me off in the North near Kyndale when I was twelve. They must have had a reason for doing it."

Valdier grunted, "To be honest, I don't care what happens to the world so long as I can continue living my life as it is right now. I have no love for others so I will not trouble myself with them. Power is something that I happen to have, even if it is subtle. I normally keep a neutral side but if I joined a side and it resulted in positive outcomes, then I wouldn't particularly mind."

Anariel spoke softly, but in that ever-loving tone. "Any who commit violence against Men merely because they are Men are misguided. There are many good Men, and my lover was...is...among them."
"The Vale Elves are not so quick to exile, unless you have committed a terrible crime. Sounds like your parents were just total cunts. Don't let them ruin the rest of a great people. You'd be better off with them than with us. Even if I think you're easy on the eyes." Amad leans back against the wall again.

The warden adopted a more business-like tone, again. "I believe that you said eight thousand?"

Fanawa nods slowly, agreeing with the forest elf. “Xelm their leader began preaching that the mortals were a plague upon the planet that needed to be cleansed. Sol’tyr gave us the task of protecting this world ever since we were born, but I believe Xelm has taken it out of proportion… Sol’tyr would never justify the destruction of an entire race and he knows this. The Su’nari simply believe that the death of mortals is the only way to protect the planet from its destruction. They have good intentions to a point… but they are going about it the wrong way."