Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Shrine of Jahine: An Elven Tale

Upon reaching the Wood Elf kingdom (the edge of their forest), Kandal comes across a dark elf named Allindra who seems interested in him since she was ordered to watch him. However, voices can be heard forcing the drow to escape. Kandal faints and wakes up in a hut with an old elf who says he is his great grandfather. The grandfather tells him about the true secret of the shrine and that he is the only hope in reuniting all the different races of elves (since the great grandfather is the last surviving elf from the old times, he is the only one that truly understands). During this, the drow, upon following Kandal, eavesdrops from outside the hut, quite intrigued while a Wood Elf by the name of Anima comes in to give the old man herbs. After leaving, an arrow suddenly hits the old man killing him.

Anima returns because of the fighting to check on the old man and finds him dead and takes out her bow and arrows on him. However, Kandal believes in his mission and tells her that she is his only hope. HOwever, High Elves come in the hut and Kandal is forced to kill one of his good friends in order to save her life. To escape, Anima creates a burst of smoke from a vial and a spell that throws the remaining elves to the ground. Upon reaching a tree from outise, they come across the drow! Kandal is still confused about why she is away from her people alone and why she hasn't killed him.

But there is no time to explain. The drow makes this quite clear when she kicks a few High Elf asses. Kandal also in trouble, hides (not wanting to kill either the two races whom he both loves) and goes in search of a general so that they will stop fighting. However, the one he reaches has hated him from the beginning and now has an excuse to kill him since he is a Wood Elf. After getting in a sword fight, the General gets him in a position where he can't move and has two of his elves fire arrows at him. Meanwhile, the drow follows Kandal and kills the two elves who fired the arrows but it is too late... she watches as they head for Kandal.

Anima, who had been following, jumps in the way of the arrows, one arrow embedding itself in a branch from a tree she had jumped down from and the other in her shoulder. Kandal, angry, and in order to protect her, tackles the general off his horse who had gone into a charge and battles him. In the end, Kandal kills the general.

Meanwhile, the drow continues to kick butt, while Anima watches from the sidelines, trying to heal herself. Kandal, seeing Anima in danger, goes berserk and runs towards her, killing those in his way. But he soon gets shot to the ground twice and is about to be killed by a High Elf... but not if the drow has anything to do about it! Attatching a claw to her bow and arrow, she fires, catching him right in the neck! Confused, Kandal gets up, but faints from the loss of blood. However, he is quickly tended to by Anima, after ordered by the Drow. As Kandal lies unconcious, the two speak, as a lone figure looks down from the ancient one's hut from above...

The figure is a High Elf Magi who uses a sleep/nightmare spell on the three. The Drow gets in the way, immediatley falling asleep. Anima then creates a barrier which the Magi tries to break with a fire spell, but is too weak (which he explains is because of being away from the Shrine). He then eats a herb, which replenishes his power. He then fires a huge fire ball at the shield.... Anima sees this and diverts her power in her shield to block the attack. The shield wraps around it and sends it back to the Magi, killing him. Anima falls to the ground and soon falls asleep. Kandal, awakens and sees Allindria, recognizing the spell placed on her. Then, with powers unknown to him, he removes the spell and soon tends to Anima.

As this occurs, a figure appears... a wood elf, telling Kandal to follow him to the sacred place where most of the wood elves were hiding. However, he spots the Drow and tries to kill her, but Kandal stops him. (The elf has a tie with Kandal's mother who was killed by Drows and hates them). But he soon gives in... They can travel towards the shrine. However, Allindra soon leaves them and goes to her Kingdom, hoping that she had gained enough information for her mission. But if not, she would return...

Meanwhile, they reach the shrine and Anima introduces the elf as Daichi. As they converse, (we find out Anima and Terryll were destined to be married), we find out that Kandal's father left his mother to try and change the Drows with words (Daichi says he was much like Kandal is, wanting peace). However, he never came back. Daichi then talks about that that was why he hated Drows so much, because of his mother. During this, Anima realizes Allindra is missing and a confused and hurt Kandal awaits Daichi to take them to the sanctuary...

Allindra meanwhile goes to the capital of the drow kingdom (trying to avoid the king for she hates him). However, he calls her with his mind, forcing her to come to him (she was going to her commander to talk about her mission). She goes to him and asks what she learned (he had ordered the commander to give her the mission, so she fell into his trap). She tells him and he gets mad cuz he already knew about it. He then asks her to get him for him... alive. She leaves. However, the king does not trust her and has two men follow her...

Back at the sanctuary, there is a meeting and Kandal is said to be the next king since his great grandfather was the elder before and he was the only one who was related to him. Daichi, knowing this, tells the meeting director about the drow, knowing that Kandal will have to deal with it. Kandal tells them he is not ready and soon leaves with Anima into the forest unnoticed... while they are there, Allindra spots them however, she senses the two and kills them... (Kandal was busy protecting Anima). Kandal is happy that she protected them, but she soon changes and hits him across the head, throwing him into a state of unconciousness... Allindra then takes Anima (she wants to use her so that it would lure Kandal after her for the king...). The king, meanwhile, senses this and is quite happy, saying that he will finally see Kandal again...

The Seperation of Races

The knight rides off with this two companions and soon reach a mountain which overlooks a great amount of the land. Upon reaching it, they spot a ship which is manned by the half elf and half lizardman Alyxandria Saal. Of course, they do not know this and quickly make their way to the ship, hoping that it is a creature of another race that is willing to aid them on their quest to reuniting all races to fight the darkness.

The three men make it to the ship and Ryoto calls out to Alyxandria. The sailor stops the ship to allow him on (but she gets some weapons in case). Ryoto goes on alone and begins his conversation with her. During all this, a pixie known as Anima and her corgi hide in some bushes. Both men, Tilliad and Sam see the corgi and try to coax it out of the bushes... while the corgi is trying to distract them so they do not find Anima...

As this occurs, Ryoto finally convinces Alyxandria to join them! With much relief, Ryoto signals his men to come aboard, for she has offered her ship as transportation. Both Sam and Tilliad see the signal, Sam goes while Tilliad continues to try and catch the corgi. (stupid, stupid Tilliad).

As soon as Sam comes on though he betrays Ryoto by puting a sword to his throat and ordering him to kill Alyxandria. After the past of Sam is shown to us through Ryoto (Ryoto protected him and made him his squire when Sam was poor), Alyxandria gives Ryoto the signal to attack him. Confused, Ryoto attacks!

They fight and Sam seems to be convinced. However, they are hurting eachother. When all seems lost, Tilliad jumps up into the air from the side of the ship and tries to stab Sam. Sam quickly throws a knife into his gut, sending him to the ground. Ryoto stands frozen, while Alyxandria pins Sam to the ground. As this occurs, the pixie appears and lands on Tilliad's stomach. Before Ryoto sees this, he tells Ayxandria that it is up to her what they do with Sam, since it is her vessel. As she leaves, Ryoto turns to the pixie in amazment, who soon tugs on his hair to have him remove the dagger so that she may heal him. As he removes it, Alyxandria throws Sam overboard (who is tied to a sandbag). Alyxandria, not noticing the pixie, goes and steers the ship while Ryoto stares in wonder at the pixie.

Then, from the waters, a voice can be heard. Ryoto, recognizing the voice goes to the edge of the ship and spots Luke, his apprentence who is trying to catch up with them. Immediatley, he asks for Alyxandria for a rope and permission for Luke to come aboard. She gives him permission and the knight throws it overboard. Luke catches it, and after great struggle falls onto the deck. Luke, full of energy, looks about and begins to ask questions. (before responding, Ryoto thinks back on when they left Luke after they got ambushed, leaving him behind with men trying to kill him) Ryoto responds, telling him who everyone is and that Sam was killed. Immediately, Luke asks who killed him (also talking about how he defated them all) and before Ryoto can respond, Alyxandria tells him that she did it... Ryoto then looks back at the lad and tells him that it does not matter. Ryoto soon gets up and brings Tilliad down stairs and then goes into the cabin where the pixie soon brought herself.

In the cabin, the corgi is asleep and the pixie is in a crevice in the wall. Ryoto goes up to her and thanks her for her help (even after everything humans had done to them (he speaks of a broken bond). Then he goes back on deck, after petting Ein.

Meanwhile, a goblin walks around, lost, as the ship goes off to sea...

Alyxandria soon stops the ship, an action which confuses the knight. Luke mocks him for being afraid and they ask her why they stopped...