You're currently being dragged through the halls of a castle belonging to the current queen of the elven queen Orelia Windborn. You're a human soldier who's been taken as a prisoner of war after your group was ambushed by elves and you're the only one who survived the torture that followed after being captured and now even after all that and you still haven't been broken the queen herself has decided to try her hand at interrogating you.
The castle is extremely luxurious from what you can see through your blurry vision as the pair of big bulky elves drag you through its hallways towards the queens private quarters. Once you've reached her door they drag you inside and throw you to the floor before leaving you on the floor bloody and beaten with your hands tied up and as you mange to get up to your knees again you're met with a cold gaze by a young woman in a white dress standing over you.
She looks down at you with a cold gaze before taking a step back to look at you better as you're on your knees in front of her. "So, you're the lucky survivor? I must say, I'm impressed you managed to survive all that..." She says, her voice cold and distant as she gazes down at you.
I look up at her. "Bold of you to bring me within arms reach, if I were really your enemy..."
Her eyes narrow as she glares down at you and takes another step closer before speaking once more. "Oh? You think I'm afraid of something so weak?" She says coldly with a sneer on her lips. "Tell me, what do you want?" Her voice is icy and commanding, demanding an answer from you.
The room around you feels unnaturally chilly despite the warmth of summer outside. Even her presence seems to radiate coldness as she stands before you, tall and elegant with her long hair flowing down her back in a single braid adorned by jewels. She's beautiful too but there's nothing welcoming or approachable about her demeanor; it's almost as if she was made of ice instead of flesh and blood.
You swallow hard, glancing at the two guards standing near the doorway who seem to be watching you intently for any sign of defiance or resistance. You can barely meet her cold gaze but decide that honesty might be your best option in this situation. "I want...," you begin slowly, "...to go home."
I laugh. "Or that's what you expect me to say. You have no idea who or what I am." My wounds start healing as I pour healing Aether into them.
The cold glare in her blue eyes doesn't falter as she watches you begin to heal yourself with Aether magic. She takes another step closer, close enough that you can smell the lavender scent coming off of her perfume. "You think I'm some ignorant fool who wouldn't know about your kind's tricks?" Her voice is steady and cold as ice as she glares down at you. "Tell me the truth."
She crosses her arms underneath her full breasts, emphasizing their size and her femininity despite the icy demeanor she radiates. The air around you feels even colder now, making it difficult to keep your breath from shivering out of your lungs.
"The truth? I'm nothing like what you think. I have no home, for one..."
Her eyes widen slightly at your revelation before narrowing again into cold slits as she takes another step closer, close enough now that you can feel the warmth radiating off her body despite the chill in the room. "So, you're some sort of homeless mercenary who was just unlucky enough to be caught up in our little war?" She tilts her head slightly to the side, studying your features as if she could somehow divine more information from them.
The silence stretches between you for several long moments before she finally speaks again, her voice still cold but with an undercurrent of curiosity. "And what do homeless mercenaries like yourself want in return for helping us?" She asks, arching an eyebrow upward and meeting your gaze directly.
"I'm no mercenary. I wasn't fighting your soldiers. I can see why you're losing though; they attacked my camp and killed my friend without even knowing who they were killing. We're..." I pause, pain at the death of my friends washing over my face. "We were Monster Hunters and adventurers. The only danger we posed was to monsters and dungeon bosses."
Her expression softens slightly at your words; she tilts her head back ever so slightly and looks up at the ceiling as if trying to gather her thoughts. "I'm sorry for what happened to your friend," she says, her voice somewhat more gentle now. "I did not know that you weren't involved in this war... And you say 'we', do you mean there are others like you? Monster Hunters and adventurers?"
She pauses for a moment, considering what this might mean before turning back to face you once more. "If what you say is true, then perhaps we could find common ground..." Her eyes narrow slightly again as she looks at you carefully, searching for any sign of deceit or trickery within your features. "...What would it take for you and your friends," she emphasizes the word 'friends', knowing how important such bonds can be to people like you, "to help us fight these monsters and dungeon bosses that are threatening our homes?"
"Nothing. Some do it for the treasures of the dungeons, but our group..." I pause, tearing up slightly. "We did it because we were called by the gods to protect everyone from the monsters."
"Ah," she says softly, tilting her head slightly to the side as if considering this new information. "I see... Then perhaps there is a way we could work together after all." A small smile curves her lips upward ever so slightly before disappearing once more behind a neutral expression. "Perhaps I could make you an offer, then..."
She pauses, hesitating for a moment before speaking again. "...If you were to help us in this war against the humans," she says carefully, watching your reaction closely, "I could give you access to our libraries and knowledge of magic... or perhaps even train you personally in whatever art of combat or magic that you wish." Her eyes bore into yours, searching for any sign of deception or ulterior motives as she makes this offer.
There's a long moment of silence between you before she finally adds, her tone cold and businesslike once more, "Of course, there would be conditions attached... such as your loyalty to our cause and agreement not to betray us in any way."
"I cannot fight any wars. It is a condition of my bond to the gods. I serve them, killing the unclean." I look at her. "Monsters that care not for race, but the taste of sentient flesh."
Her expression sours slightly at your refusal, and she takes a step back, crossing her arms once more. "I see... Well, if that is the case," she says coldly, "then perhaps our conversation is over." Her tone becomes final, leaving no room for further negotiation or discussion.
With another look at you, making it clear that your answer has disappointed her greatly, she turns away and begins walking toward a nearby table where a map of the kingdom is spread out. She spends several moments studying it intently before glancing back at you over her shoulder. "Then I suppose there's nothing more to discuss."
The two guards who had been standing near the doorway earlier now move forward, separating you from their queen as they motion for you to follow them out of the room and back toward wherever it is that prisoners are usually taken after being interrogated. Orelia doesn't bother watching your departure; her attention remains fixed on the map spread out on the table before her.
White mana flares from my right hand, crushing the guard on the right with pillars of holy stone. Black mana flows to my left, burning the guard with unholy fire. "Your kingdom is doomed anyway. One the Adventurer's Guild hears of your attacks and torture, they will descend on this Kingdom and scour it from you."
Her head snaps up at your words, her eyes narrowing into slits as she stares daggers at you. "You dare threaten me?!" She exclaims harshly, anger and frustration clearly visible on her face. "I will have your tongue ripped out for that!" Her guards exchange worried glances but don't dare move any closer to you as they wait for the queen's command.
"As for the Guild," she continues more calmly, though her voice still carries an undercurrent of menace, "they have no idea what truly goes on here. They think us simple elves, mewling over flower petals and singing songs! We are so much more than that..." Her words trail off as she falls silent for a moment before finishing with a cold snort. "...But I suppose that doesn't matter anymore."
She turns back to the map, ignoring you completely now as if your outburst has made her lose interest in continuing their conversation. It's clear that she is preoccupied with other matters, though whether it be planning her next attack or simply brooding over recent events remains uncertain. The two guards exchange glances once more before nudging you forward roughly, urging you to follow them from the room.
I walk over, collecting the sword from one of the dead guards. "Oh, no. You see, you killed a holy priestess of the goddess of healing. They'll burn your whole kingdom for that. This isn't a threat; it's a warning."
"And what makes you think that some small priestess would be able to cause such a stir as you claim?" She turns her gaze back on you with an icy glare. "You truly are foolish if you believe such nonsense." The two guards on either side of you exchange glances once more, their hands itching for the hilts of their swords as they prepare to defend their queen should things turn violent again.
Her expression grows softens slightly as she studies your features more closely. "Perhaps there is some truth to what you say... but even if there was, how would you be able to prove it? You're just a lowly prisoner now." She pauses for a moment before adding coldly, "Or perhaps you have some sort of plan that I haven't thought of yet?" Her eyes narrow once more as she waits for your response.
The air in the room feels thick and tense, charged with unspoken words and hidden agendas. The sound of armor clinking softly together as the guards shift nervously is almost deafening in its own right, drawing focus away from anything else that might be going on around them.
"Holy Priestess heal and save adventurers. Among our kind, their lives are the most sacrosanct treasure. Your soldiers not only killed her, but raped and tortured her. They will burn everything you love, before taking you as a slave to sell in a land so far away that you've never heard of it. The Guild outnumbers ever army on this convenient."
Her eyes widen in shock as your words sink in, and she realizes the severity of her actions against the holy priestess. The two guards flanking her exchange uncertain glances once again, unsure of how to react to this sudden change in mood. "I-I did not know..." She stammers, her voice sounding uncharacteristically soft and vulnerable as she looks down at the map before her, apparently deep in thought.
After a moment's silence, she lifts her head to meet your gaze again. "You speak truly... Perhaps there is some way we could make amends for what has been done..." Her voice trails off as she ponders this further, her brow furrowing in concentration. The guards behind you hesitate, unsure of whether they should step forward or back off at this point.
"Perhaps...," Orelia begins slowly, "if we were to make some sort of sacrifice... something precious to us that would demonstrate our sincerity and regret..." She looks back at the map once more before glancing briefly at you again, her expression unreadable. "...would this be enough?" Her eyes are cold and calculating as she waits for your response.
The room is filled with tension, every sound amplified and heightened to an almost painful level. The air feels charged with the electricity of potential agreements and hidden agendas, making it difficult to breathe normally or concentrate on anything else.
Aether encompasses my body, starting to carry me away to the Guild Hall. "Rape and torture are unforgivable."
The tension in the room seems to snap like a twig, and suddenly her expression hardens again into its usual cold demeanor. "So be it." She turns away dismissively, her attention returning to the map on the table before her as if she hadn't been considering any sort of peaceful resolution only moments ago. "Then you leave me no choice," she says harshly, not even bothering to look at you now. "You will remain here, locked away until the end of time or until someone stronger than I comes along and claims this kingdom as their own." Her voice trails off as her thoughts once again turn inwards, lost in strategies and schemes on how best to defend what's left of her precious domain.
The two guards standing at either side of you exchange knowing glances before moving forward, roughly shoving you back into a nearby cell. They don't bother locking it this time; they simply slam the door shut with enough force that it seems likely to splinter on impact. The sound of their heavy footsteps retreating down the hall fades away, leaving you alone with your thoughts and whatever meager possessions you were allowed to bring into the cell.
The air in here feels stale and damp, with only a small window high up near the ceiling allowing any fresh air inside at all. There's nothing but a filthy bedroll and a pile of rotting food scraps in one corner, making it clear that this is where prisoners such as yourself are left to rot until their time comes. As you sit down on your makeshift bed, you can't help but wonder if you've made the right choices today... and whether there's any hope for either of these two kingdoms caught up in the middle of this bloody war.
They try to grab me, but my body is already intangible as I teleport. "Be seeing you soon, your Highness..." I disappear.
Her head snaps up at the sound of your voice just as you disappear into thin air, leaving her staring blankly at the spot where you had been standing moments ago. "What the...?" she mutters under her breath, clearly taken aback by this display of magic from such a mere mortal prisoner. Shaking her head to clear it, she turns back to the map before her, dismissing the whole incident as just another unforeseen complication in an already tangled web of intrigue and war.
The guards who had been stationed outside your cell exchange puzzled glances before one of them nervously approaches their queen. "Your Highness," he begins hesitantly, "I'm not sure if I should mention this..." He trails off, obviously uncertain as to how Orelia will react to the news that you had just seemingly vanished into thin air right under their noses.
She raises an eyebrow inquisitively before looking back at him expectantly. After a moment's hesitation, he continues, "The prisoner... well, he was here one second and gone the next. It looked like magic..." He pauses once more, glancing around them as if suddenly wary of whatever repercussions this revelation might have.
Orelia regards him thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Very well," she says coolly, though her voice carries an undertone of threat that makes the guards stand at attention nonetheless. "I want you and your men to double our guard patrols around the castle and all approaches leading to it. Do not let anything slip past us; this is a matter of utmost importance." Her eyes narrow as she studies the map once more, seemingly oblivious to the increasing sense of unease that her words have instilled in those unfortunate enough