The Fourth Race Pt. 1

Evangeline stepped out of her cottage and breathed in the fresh, late March air. She walked into the woods and scanned the ground for some witch hazel, which she needed for a salve. She hummed to herself as her silver hair blew in the wind. 

When she returned to her cottage, she looked around at her cramped apothecary room. Bottles and jars lined the walls and a green powder was spilled on the wooden table. 

As Evangeline ground the witch hazel with her mortar and pestle, she looked at the row of a dozen or so books she had on one of her shelves. About half of them were about apothecary things, but the others were novels about ancient heroes. 

Evangeline caught her reflection in the mirror and was yet again intrigued by her pointed ears and white skin. She didn’t know anyone that looked like her, not even her parents. 

Just when she finished grinding her witch hazel and putting it into a bottle when her cardinal friend, Anin, flew in the window, chirping. He landed on her shoulder and chirped. “Hello Anin.” Evangeline said. 

Anin tweeted in the Animal tongue, called Muddish. 

“What’s that you say?” Evangeline said, furrowing her eyebrows. 

Anin chirped again. 

“I’ve got a visitor?” Evangeline said, sure she had misheard. 

Anin nodded his red feathered head. “Well you should have told me, Anin!” 

Elizabeth ran a finger through her silver hair and stepped outside. She looked around for the visitor and suddenly something caught her eye. She saw a beautiful grey wolf hidden partially behind a huge willow tree. “Hello?” she called. 

The wolf walked towards the stairs and looked at Evangeline for a few minutes, its deep brown eyes some of the most beautiful she had ever seen. She could see her own face reflected back, her own dark blue eyes staring back. 

The wolf was a beauty, with thick grey fur, and its flanks rippled with muscle. 

Anin flew outside and landed on Evangeline’s shoulder. “Is this the visitor?” 

Anin chirped and cocked his head towards the wolf again. 

Suddenly, the wolf turned into an old man. He was hunched over a metal staff and had a long golden beard. “Hello.” he said, in a calming voice. 

“Hello? And who do I have the delight of meeting?” Evangeline said, raising an eyebrow. 

The old man laughed a deep laugh. “Who am I?” 

Evangeline nodded slowly. 

“I am Onitor, the Golden Wizard! And you are just the person I wanted to see, Evangeline!” 

"Um… Onitor...how do you know my name?” Evangeline said, growing more confused by the second.

“You are known far and wide among those who know the truth.” Onitor answered, shifting his weight. 

“I am?”

“Certainly. Now, I would quite like a cup of tea. Mint, if you have any.” Onitor said, shaking his staff until it turned into a button, which he stowed in his pocket. 

Evangeline’s jaw dropped. “I do have mint…….How did you do that, Onitor? 

“A wizard never reveals his secrets, Evangeline.” Onitor laughed again and then winked. 

Evangeline went into her warm kitchen and put a kettle of water over the fire. She then grabbed loose mint leaves, two tea strainers and a loaf of banana bread she had baked the night before. 

Onitor stepped into her house and settled himself in a chair. As Evangeline cut the banana bread, she looked at Onitor and said “I don’t normally get many visitors. The people in the town near here say I’m a witch. I suppose I am, in a way.” 

Onitor nodded. “Evangeline, how old are you?” 

She looked up, shocked. As the surprise slunk back where it came from, she said quietly, turning back to the bread to plate it, “967.” 

“I suppose I better tell you how old I am, then.” Onitor said, laughing. 

Evangeline laughed, grabbing the tea mugs and the plate of evenly sliced pieces of bread and putting them on a tray. “Only if you want.” 

“2,489.” Onitor said, standing up. 

Evangeline whistled. “Wow. Do you want to eat outside? It’s so lovely out.” 

“I wouldn’t mind.” 

As Evangeline walked outside with the tray, Onitor stared at her ears. She set down the tray on a table outside and they both took a chair. 

“Onitor, sir?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Why are you staring at my ears like that? I know they’re strange but…”

“Oh! I’m terribly sorry, Evangeline. You do know that you’re an Elf, right? A Moon Elf?” 

Evangeline spit out her mouthful of hot mint tea. “What!?” 

Onitor chuckled. “I take it you don’t.” 

Evangeline rubbed her temple. “Moon Elves don’t exist. There’s Wood Elves of Turrey Forest, Drow of the Aelophere, and High Elves of Inodolor. I’ve never heard anything about Moon Elves, sir.” 

“That’s because 2,000 years ago, there was a huge war. The War of The Black Scar.” Onitor said, his face serious. 

“What was it about?” 

Onitor sighed, and his eyes took on that faraway look of a memory. “I’ll tell you the story, Evangeline, but you must not interrupt.” 

Evangeline nodded, taking a sip of her tea. 

Onitor cleared his throat, ran a hand through his beard, and began. “The War of The Black Scar began when Ailithir, King of The High Elves, impregnated his wife. The baby was born, healthy and happy. His Queen, Eilona, was weak, but was making a recovery. When the baby was a few days old, Eilona noticed a black scar on her tongue.” 

Evangeline was transfixed, her tea long forgotten. 

“A Drow noblewoman, Theraiss, believed this to be a sign that the baby, named Dinias, was magical and belonged with the Drow. Eilona and Ailithir did not agree. They said the scar was just an unusual birthmark.” 

Onitor sipped his tea and took a bite of bread before beginning again. “Theriass urged the Drow Queen to go to war against the High Elves to take Dinias. The Drow Queen, Khami, agreed. So, the Drow launched an attack on Inodolor. There was a terrible battle, and numerous Drow and High Elves were slaughtered. The Moon Elves, with their kindness as virtues, sided with the High Elves, and the Wood Elves, big magic users, sided with the Drow, believing Dinias should go with them.” 

“Moon Elves?” Evangeline whispered faintly. 

Onitor nodded and took another sip of his tea. “After a few small fights, there was a huge battle, where it was Moon and High Elves against Drow and Wood Elves. The battle was called The Battle of Loyalties. Eilona and Ailithir hid in a cave under the battlefield, Eilona holding her baby tight. Dinias had shown no signs of magic, but that did not mean much, for magical babies show their powers later on.” 

Evangeline ate a bite of bread, not taking her eyes of Onitor. 

“The battle was long, but eventually, the Drow and Wood Elves won, and the High Elves fled back to Inodolor. The Moon Elves were driven into hiding, for they were prejudiced against because of their magic, an ancient thing. Queen Khami stole Dinias and killed Ailithir and Eilona. The new High Elf King and Queen, King Fearer and Queen Ailear, built the infamous wall around Inodolor. Thus was the end of The War of the Black Scar, and Dinias was taken back to the Aelosphere. The Elves have not allied again since.” Onitor finished, his eyes refocusing on Evangeline. 

“What does that have to do with me?” Evangeline said. “I mean, how am I alive if the Moon Elves disappeared?” 

Onitor chuckled. “I thought you’d never ask. You see, your birth parents had you and sent you down the Barnton Channel. They believed you could save the race of the Moon Elves.” 

“Can I?” 

“Certainly! I believe the Drow trapped them in an ancient dungeon. You must go to the Gallanduff Mountain. There you will find out more. It is vital that you find them, for soon there will be a time when the Elves must ally once again.” Onitor said. 

Evangeline gaped. “So...I have to go to a mountain to find my birth parents and the rest of my race?” 

Onitor nodded. “Now, you get to leave tomorrow, so let us not worry!” 

Evangeline nodded. “Sure. Look, the birds are making nests and hunting for mates.” she pointed out two sparrows chirping together. 

Onitor smiled. “Look, daffodils and tulips, poking their heads out!” Sure enough, buds of tulips and daffodils were visible in the undergrowth. 

“The air is fresh, sir. Do you not smell it?” Evangeline inhaled, and would be at peace if not for the huge quest looming over her. 

Onitor nodded. Anin chirped and nudged his head against Onitor’s cheek. “Hello, little bird.” 

In Muddish, Anin said “Will Evangeline be okay on her quest?” 

Onitor replied, “Of course.” 

Anin chirped and said “You’ll have to meet my mate, Imayn. She’s going to lay her eggs in a few weeks.” 

“I’d love to.” Onitor said, smiling. 

Out of the woods, a beautiful female cardinal flew out, her beak and tips of her wings red. Anin nudged his beak against hers. 

Imayn chirped and fluttered around.

As Anin and Imayn flew away with sticks in their mouths, Evangeline smiled and said “Ah, the joys of spring.” 

Onitor stood up after a while and dropped a bag into Evangeline’s lap. He shook his button back into a staff and before he disappeared into the woods he turned back and said “Your real name is Elmyra. Only use it when you need to.” 

And then he was gone. 

Evangeline’s jaw dropped. “Elmyra?” she said to herself. “I suppose it’s got a nice ring to it.” 

She opened the bag Onitor had given him and found a longsword, a bow and arrows, and some other adventuring gear. As Evangeline ran her finger along the beautiful wood of the bow, she thought. Should she really do this? 

As she sat on her porch and thought about it, the more she wanted to go. She sat up, put some more food in the bag, and then pulled the bag onto her shoulders. 

In the bag there had been an old map, and as she unfolded it, a breath caught in her throat. She had to go very far to reach the Gallanduff Mountain, 350 miles to be exact. In just 20 miles, she’d pass through the Turrey Woods, and she’d see the Wood Elves. She wasn’t sure if she should be worried, but the war was long enough ago, right?

With a deep breath, she stepped onto the worn path through the forest, ready to begin her adventure.