A Leap of faith

Oreon, daggers still drawn, glared at the paladins arrayed before him, prepared to strike if needed. "You know, death just doesn't seem to be on my schedule today." He returns with a smirk." So, I'm going to have to take a rain check on that, and as far as the elves go, well, I don't think I'll be handing them over either, so that sounds like you're taking two losses today." Oreon's words echo throughout the grand chamber as his eyes glance around the room, trying to see if he can find another way out of this predicament. "I am curious, though." He says, focusing back on the golden-winged paladin. "What does the Order want with a couple of elves anyway?" He questions.

The Paladin with the golden-winged helmet steps forward, his armor gleaming under the torchlight.

"Such ignorance." He spoke with amusement in his voice. "You steal from us, free our prisoners, and yet you don't even know what you've taken."

The ballroom resounded with the paladin's bitter laughter, his winged helmet gleaming. "Then you demand answers, as if you are deserving of them," he said, taking another measured step forward. "But I guess it doesn't do any harm, considering you're going to be captured and punished for your crimes." He pointed towards the two Elves. "These are not just mere elves- these are elves of royal bloodline, a bloodline that carries ancient magic in their veins. Magic that the Order requires. Especially the elder one- her light magic is…compatible with our needs." To gain a flanking position, the paladin with the hammer moves slightly to the right.

Meanwhile, the winged-helm paladin continues to speak. "The golden-haired elf is Celestia Velyrian, former queen of Vel'Andria." He glanced briefly at Sylvanie as he pointed. "And the dark one is a wellspring of forbidden magic, Sylvanie Velyrian, the second to rise to the throne, should her sister fall. The Purifier believes her corruption can be…repurposed."

"You mean to drain our magic…to fuel your sick crusade," Celestia spoke, her stance remaining as Sylvanie's crimson eyes blazed, her grip on the stolen sword tightening until her knuckles turned white.

"So that's what this has all been about." She took a step forward, ignoring the weapons trained on her. "You've been purifying and purging the elves just to harvest our magic," Sylvanie growled, baring her teeth. "You destroy our kingdom, scatter our people, and now you want to hollow us out like empty vessels for your precious Order."

The Crimson Oath shifts his flaming sword. "Your magic serves a higher purpose now. The corruption in your blood can be cleansed and redirected toward the light."

"Draining the elves dry," Oreon breathed. "Are there no lows you people won't stoop to? Aren't your purges enough?"

The winged paladin's expression darkened beneath his helmet, his voice turning cold. "Purges are necessary to cleanse corruption. But waste not, want not--their magic serves the divine will far better than rotting in elven graves.

"Divine will Ha! Divine will my ass!" Sylvanie returned. "You lot are nothing but parasites feeding off what you've murdered." Her eyes flicked to the hammer-wielding paladin moving to flank them. "Tell me, how many of our people have you drained already?" She gritted her teeth.

"None of that concerns you, dark elf." The Warhammer paladin spoke. "All you need to do is follow orders and head back to your chains; nothing else is needed from you." He chuckled.

"So this is just one big harvest?" Oreon took his turn to speak as he eyed the golden-winged paladin. "Draining elves for their magic, purging the so-called corrupted, to what end? What about the beastkins? The dwarves? The rest of the humans? What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?

The golden-winged paladin's gauntleted hand gestured dismissively at Oreon's questions, his voice carrying certainty of absolute faith. "The world must be united under divine Order, thief. Beastkin are little more than animals--useful for labor, nothing more. Dwarves for their craftsmanship." His helmet tilted slightly as he studied Oreon. "As for humans like yourself--those who serve the Order prosper. Those who don't..." He let the threat hang in the air.

The crimson-caped paladin stepped forward, his flaming sword stretched out as he pointed it at the trio. "The Order's vision is simple--one world, one faith, one people serving the divine light. Magic flows to those worthy of wielding it, not scattered among lesser races who corrupt its purity."

"One People? You mean one boot stomping on everyone's neck." Sylvanie hissed.

"You're a damn cult." Oreon's grip tightened on his daggers. "The heretics are the ones who stand there preaching about divine light, when, if you look deep enough behind the facade, there's nothing but soulless hearts. There's nothing divine or holy about you, just walking hypocrites killing for the sake of killing." He stood in front of the Elven sisters.

"You misunderstand, thief." The winged helm paladin continued to speak. "We don't kill for the sake of killing. We reshape the world according to the divine mandate, passed down from the high seats themselves. Every death serves a purpose--every drop of elven blood spilled waters the seeds for a greater tomorrow."

Celestia's jaw clenched, her eyes burning as she narrowed them. "You speak of reshaping the world while standing in the ruins of everything beautiful you've destroyed." She gritted her teeth." You've enslaved entire races! You butchered innocents and call it holy work. You've committed purges and call it a divine mandate. People, both human and non-human, live in fear because of your actions, and you dare say it leads to a great tomorrow?"

The golden-winged paladin's laugh echoed through the ballroom. "Beautiful?" He repeated. "Your 'beautiful' kingdom fell in a few days, Elf. Your people scattered like leaves before a storm. If your way was truly divine, would it not have endured? If your magic was truly almighty, would you not have been victorious?" He gestured with his hands as he made his point. "Regardless of how you see our transgressions, time showed that your way was weak and you crumbled just like the weak vermin you are."

"You damn bastards,' Sylvanie snarls, gripping tightly on her stolen sword. "I can't wait to shove this sword so far up your...

Forward strode the paladin, his red cape billowing, the flaming sword in his hand sending dancing shadows across the walls. "Stay your tongue, dark Elf. "He turns his attention back to Oreon." The shard thief, hand it over, and perhaps we'll only take your hands instead of your head." He threatens.

"You know what? I'm starting to think you paladins have a real communication problem." Oreon shifted his weight, muscles coiled. "Because I'm pretty sure I already told you—death is not on my schedule today, and I'm not handing over squat."

The hammer-wielding paladin's laugh boomed through the ballroom, his massive weapon beginning to glow brighter with divine energy. "Bold words from a cornered rat." He hefted the glowing hammer with one hand. "The shard belongs to the Order, thief. As do these elves."

"Actually," Oreon responded with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "I've got a counterproposal," He flipped one dagger in his hand, the motion casual despite the deadly situation as he pointed it towards the paladins. "How about you all go screw yourselves?"

Divine energy began to build as the paladin, wearing a helmet with wings, lifted his hand." Enough games!" He growled, "Seize them! Retrieve the shard and the elves!" He turned his back towards the trio, but not before slightly glancing over his shoulder at Oreon. "And kill the thief." He uttered darkly.

The chamber erupts into chaos as guards surge forward from all sides. Celestia raises her hands, summoning a dome of golden light that momentarily shields the three of them from the initial wave of attackers.

"We cannot defeat three paladins in our current state," She warns, strain evident in her voice as she maintains the barrier. "Human, you have to find us a way out of here and be quick about it!"

Oreon's eyes darted frantically around the ballroom—ornate pillars, massive chandeliers, stained glass windows depicting holy scenes. Suddenly, his eyes locked onto the large windows. He quickly glanced over at Celestia and gestured his head towards the window as she nodded imperceptibly.

"On my signal then! "She speaks, the light growing brighter. "Be ready to run!" She says as Sylvanie quickly shifts her weight, ready to spring into action, her crimson eyes darting between the approaching soldiers and the window.

"Hey, human, if we survive this." She mutters to Oreon. "I might consider not killing you in your sleep." Her eyes do not leave the incoming horde of soldiers coming their way.

Oreon's head quickly snaps to Sylvanie. "What? You were going to kill me in my sleep!" he exclaims.

The paladins and soldiers advanced, their divine auras flaring with power. The Warhammer paladin raises his weapon, which begins to crackle with holy energy.

The light from Celestia's hands intensifies until it's almost blinding, pulsing with raw power that makes the air around them shimmer. With a determined expression, Celestia hurls the concentrated ball of light toward the ceiling above the paladins. The explosion is deafening, sending chunks of stone raining down, temporarily cutting off the paladins from their prey.

"NOW!" Celestia shouts, her voice carrying over the chaos.

Following their improvised plan, he burst towards the large window, pushing past the few obstructing soldiers as the elves followed close behind.

"So, what's your big plan?" As they neared the window, Sylvanie cried out, "Will we be fighting with our backs against the wall?" She posed her question as Oreon looked back, then redirected his gaze forward.

"Nope, we're going to take a leap of faith!" He shouts.

"What!" With a cry from Sylvanie, Oreon charged forward, smashing through the glass window with his shoulder. He tumbled outside, the two elves following in a seemingly perilous drop.

For a breathless moment, only the wind rushed past, and glittering shards of glass surrounded them, like diamond stars in the night. At the bottom, a deep cliff exposes the Fortress perched on the Cliffside, with a thick canopy of trees far beneath.

Celestia's eyes widen in alarm as she realizes there's nothing but air beneath the group. With remarkable composure, she extends her hands, golden light erupting from her palms as she attempts to slow their descent. "By the ancient light, protect us!" she calls out, her magic forming a shimmering barrier that slightly cushions their fall.

Sylvanie, meanwhile, is far less dignified in her reaction.

"A LEAP OF FAITH?!" she screams, tumbling through the air beside Oreon and her sister. "I'm going to kill you if this fall doesn't do it first, you stupid human!"

Oreon looks over at Sylvanie, no less dignified than her. "You already said you were going to kill me in my sleep; you damn psychopath!"

"Brace yourselves!" Celestia shouts.

As they fell at an alarming speed, the three shouted as the treetops rushed up to meet them; Celestia's magic only partially slowed their descent, and branches snapped and cracked under their weight.

The three figures' bodies tumbled like rag dolls as the sound of their grunts echoed throughout the forest. Their bodies hit the ground, flipping and flopping before they came to a stop as they rolled down a steep hill, with Oreon finally stopping on his back and the two elves landing in their positions.

Oreon winced as he sat up, rubbing his lower back. "Well, that could have been better."

Celestia was next to rise, her movements graceful despite the fall. Leaves and twigs clung to her pale blonde hair, and a thin scratch marked her cheek, but she appeared unharmed thanks to her protective magic. She brushes herself off with dignity, as if falling from castle windows were a regular occurrence for Elven royalty.

"That was…Resourceful, unexpected, but resourceful. "She offers diplomatically, though her tone suggests she might have preferred a plan with fewer bruises. "Are you injured?"

Sylvanie groans loudly as she pushes herself up from where she landed face down in a patch of ferns. Her Violet hair is wild and tangled with forest debris, and her expression promises violence. "Resourceful?" she snarls, spitting out a leaf. "We could have died! What kind of escape plan involves hurling ourselves off a cliff?"

"The kind that gets us away from three paladins and a room full of soldiers," Oreon winced as he stretched, testing his limbs for any serious damage. "Besides, we're alive, aren't we? it couldn't be avoided," He questioned, brushing dirt from his daggers before sheathing them. "

Sylvanie snarls again, wincing as she pulls herself up to a sitting position. "We could have avoided it entirely with something called a PLAN! Are all humans this reckless, or are you a special kind of idiot?"

"Calm yourself, Sylvanie," Celestia spoke softly, placing a steadying hand on a nearby tree trunk.

"We're alive, which is more than we would have been had we stayed." She turned her sapphire gaze to Oreon, studying him with a bit of curiosity. "Though I must admit, I do have some questions of my own. Why risk your life for two Elven slaves? And what is this shard they spoke of?"

Before Oreon could answer, something drew his eyes upward, narrowing in response. "Right now, it may not be the time to talk about that." He calmly spoke as his eyes remained narrowed at the Fortress from which they fell. "They'll be on top of us in no time." He redirected his gaze to the two elves. "We need to move."

Celestia follows Oreon's gaze upward, where torches are already appearing along the cliff edge. The distant shouts of soldiers echo through the night air as search parties mobilize.

"You're right. The Order's trackers are relentless," she concedes, straightening her posture despite her obvious fatigue as her gaze fell back on Oreon. "We should head east, towards the forest trees. They will provide cover for us.

"No doubt about it. East could be our best chance. West also would give us some great cover." Oreon pondered a bit.

Sylvanie yanks her stolen sword from the ground and rises to her feet, still glaring at Oreon with suspicion despite the immediate danger.

"And what makes you think we should follow you anywhere?" She challenges, though she's already checking the forest for signs of pursuit. "For all we know, you're leading us to another slave market."

The distant sound of horns echoes from the Fortress above, followed by the barking of hounds. The hunt for the Order has begun.

"We don't have time for this," Celestia interjects firmly. "East or west, human? Choose quickly

"Let's just get moving," Sylvaine mutters, rolling her shoulder with a grimace. "Those paladins won't give up easily, especially if they want whatever this 'Shard' is so badly." Sylvaine kept her eyes narrowed at Oreon. "So, our dear human savior, please choose a path for us." She started as Oreon looked at the two of them, then turned his attention to the directions he was left to choose from.

Oreon looked towards the forest and then back at the Fortress as the Order moved. "Let's head east." He suggests. "The forest should give us cover and make it harder for them to track us. Also, there's a small town that we'll be able to hide in. We just have to get there first." He finished as he brought his gaze back towards Celestia, who nodded before turning to her sister, who silently complained as she began walking in the direction that Oreon chose.

"We'd better hurry off into the unknown then, before we become a blood sacrifice for their horrid rituals," Sylvanie grunted, her footsteps thumping against the ground. "Or return to chains."

Celestia remained silent as she walked gracefully behind her sister, who quickly turned around to face Oreon. "Well? Are you coming, human?"