S.A 2060
Orneth's heart pounded in her chest as she protested, "That is not true, Demdor! Say it is not him!" Demdor, who was known for his stoic demeanor and rarely showed emotion, picked up his sword and looked at her with a serious expression. Despite her trust in him, his words did not make any sense to her. "It is not his father. This is Raynamo, the most friendly person I have ever met. You must have mistaken him for his father. How do you know he is his father, though?"
In response, Demdor explained, "I have met him before. Do you not see the similarities to Falchon as well?" Orneth looked at him and noticed he was holding flowers that Falchiel had given him. "See? Does he look like a monster?" she asked. Demdor shook his head and let out a sigh before saying, "How can you be so incredibly naive, Orneth? Some are able to shapeshift or enchant. You have been seduced. It is apparent to me that you have been a victim of his spells."
Giril, who was armed with her bow, headed towards the window, causing Orneth to feel a sense of dread. "Why are you preparing yourself? It looks like you are going into battle!" she exclaimed in disbelief. Demdor's once beautiful eyes were now filled with hate as he looked at Orneth. Trembling with fear, she spoke up, "Demdor, you scare me. I don't think it's him. It must be a mistake. Let me fetch Falchiel and say goodbye to him."
"Yes, go get Falchiel away from him. She is the most trusting being that exists. Do not let him take her. When you have taken her, come back inside," Demdor growled in response. Just as Oldaer and Thandir entered the house through the backdoor, Demdor informed them of the situation, "Falchon's father is outside and he has Falchiel."
In a swift move, Demdor grabbed a knife from the table and handed it to Thandir. "Thandir, when we have brought Falchiel to safety, can you take her to my boat behind the lighthouse? There is a small hatch-door that is quite hidden in the back. Hide there until we come back and get you, okay?" Despite Oldaer's attempt to interject, Thandir confidently replied, "I shall do that! I promise, Lord Demdor."
Giril asked the crucial question, "Where is Falchon?" Demdor's response was short and concerning, "I do not know." Then, he turned his gaze towards Orneth and commanded her, "Go get Falchiel and come back here." The sense of urgency and danger in the air was palpable, leaving Orneth to feel scared for what was to come.
Orneth was overwhelmed with emotion, feeling as though she was on the verge of tears. It seemed as though there had been a huge misunderstanding, and the possibility that Demdor had been telling the truth loomed over her. If that were the case, she couldn't bear the thought of living with herself. As she walked out, both Falchiel and Raynamo turned their gaze upon her.
Summoning all the casualness she could muster, Orneth tried to hide her true feelings as she called out to Falchiel, "Falchiel, come here. It is way past your bedtime." But even as she spoke, she knew that if this was truly Falquando, he would easily see through her act.
As Falchiel began to run toward her, Raynamo held her back. "Wait a little, little lady. I have a small gift." Confused, Falchiel looked to Orneth for guidance. Annoyed that he was holding her back, Orneth didn't care who he was anymore and quickly walked over to them, cutting off any further conversation. "Another time. She needs to go to bed. I had such a lovely time at the tavern. I'm afraid we need to part ways now."
But as she looked at him, she realized that something was different. His eyes were not as friendly as she remembered, and there was a strange pallor to him that she couldn't quite place. Smiling, he spoke, "It was a beautiful night indeed. I would like to give your daughter a gift if you don't mind." Falchiel was trying to pull away from him, and Orneth could see that something was not right. She closed her eyes, trying to remain calm. "She wants to go now. It has to be another time."
But his tone became spiteful, and Orneth felt her heart race as she realized that something was very wrong. "Why the hurry, Orneth? What is wrong?" Falchiel began to cry, and Orneth's anxiety grew. She felt as though he was slowly transforming, becoming more shadowed and sinister. And then, she noticed the red flame in his eyes.
Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, a voice from the lighthouse called out to them. Falchon appeared, fully armed with sword and shield. "Father! Let them go! It's not them you want. It's me."
Orneth felt faint as the realization hit her: Demdor had been right. This person was Falquando. She was sickened, and the feeling was so intense that she vomited. Meanwhile, Falchiel was crying out to go to Demdor, and Orneth noticed Oldaer, Demdor, and Giril standing next to Falchon. Demdor and Oldaer were armed, and Giril had her bow strapped on. Thandir was standing a little behind, ready to act. All of them were ready to free Falchiel from Falquando's grip.
Falquando gazed at Orneth and, with a sudden shift, transformed into Raynamo, whose expression was one of sorrow. "Why all this drama?" he queried. "I simply wanted to present your daughter with a gift. You disappoint me, especially after the enjoyable time we shared in the boathouse." Raynamo's visage darkened as he snatched Falchiel from Orneth's grasp. The young girl let out a blood-curdling scream, her terror palpable.
Without hesitation, Orneth launched herself at Raynamo and clutched Falchiel's arm. "Let her go!" she implored, but Raynamo quickly retaliated by seizing her by the neck, causing excruciating pain to course through her body and robbing her of breath. He then turned his attention to Falchon. "Why is this thing so precious to you?" he taunted. "She is nothing, not even when we were close. Follow me, my son!" A sharp arrow pierced through Raynamo's shoulder, yet he laughed coldly. "An arrow does not harm me. You should know better, red-haired Sindar maiden." He then cast a cold gaze towards Giril, who had just disarmed an arrow aimed at him. With a swift motion, he hurled Falchiel against the wall of the house like a sack of stones, and Orneth tumbled to the ground as he released his grip on her.
Falchiel lay lifeless on the ground, and Orneth screamed in despair as she rushed towards her daughter. Suddenly, she saw Raynamo make a hand gesture, and a bolt of lightning shot towards Giril, who fell to the ground in a flash. Oldaer let out a piercing cry of anguish. "Nooo!" Falchon, Demdor, and Oldaer charged towards Raynamo in a fit of rage, but it all happened so quickly.
Orneth crawled towards Falchiel, who had lost consciousness. Though her daughter still breathed, Orneth's heart felt shattered. Thandir approached her, his fear and terror plain to see. Orneth looked at him with despair. "You must be brave now, little Thandir. Do as Demdor instructed and take her away. This is no place for you." Thandir gently lifted Falchiel into his arms and ran away as fast as he could.
Orneth was overcome with seething anger that she couldn't comprehend. Her hands tightly clutching the dagger Raynamo had given her, the one with a blue haft he had given her when they encountered the brigands on the Great East road. And she had her trusty wood-axe close at hand. As she spun around, her eyes alight with fury, she could see the battle raging on. Giril lay lifeless beside her bow, and Demdor and Falchon were locked in a fierce struggle against the monstrous Falquando and his mighty great-sword. Despite his immense size and power, Demdor's agility allowed him to dodge Falquando's deadly blows. Falchon, on the other hand, seemed to have an unshakable resistance to his adversary's strength, parrying his attacks with ease. Oldaer had his bow at the ready, but Falquando's unnatural speed allowed him to evade the arrows with ease. Orneth approached Falquando, her eyes burning with hatred. She felt nothing but a burning desire to see him destroyed. As she drew closer, Falchon's voice boomed out, "Leave!" But she was deaf to his pleas, and with fierce determination, she hurled her dagger towards Falquando's throat. The blade found its mark, and blood gushed out in a crimson torrent from the wound. Falquando grunted in agony, his monstrous form beginning to shrink back to its original size. Orneth's rage was finally sated, but she couldn't shake the emptiness that had taken hold of her.
Falquando then aimed at Orneth, hurling another lightning ball at her. But, with unreal speed, she dodged away, moving so fast that it almost seemed as if she was propelled by squirrel-like skills. He closed in on her, his piercing red eyes fixated on her. She felt a sharp pain in her left eye and heard a voice inside her head that urged her to use her skills. She leaped away, rolling over and landing on her feet, her axe at the ready. She aimed it at him, and with a swift motion, plunged it into his forehead. Falquando let out a blood-curdling scream that made Orneth's eardrums feel like they were about to burst.
He now had his sights set firmly on Orneth, ignoring the other attackers. Falchon struck him with his sword, piercing his chest, while Oldaer aimed for his heart. Demdor took a broad swing with his sword, delivering another deadly blow. In a last attempt to cause damage, Falquando grabbed Orneth by her feet and pulled her towards him. He seized the axe, still embedded in his forehead, and took one last swing, aiming for Orneth's wrist. Oldaer shouted in disgust as Falquando used his remaining power to sever her hand from her wrist, dissolving it into a rain of flesh and bones. Blinded by the pain and horror, Orneth lost her sight and consciousness, collapsing into the darkness.
All pictures are AI-generated from Microsoft Bing DALL·E
