Etherealm: South
At first, these mountain ranges seem completely unremarkable, but as you travel up the slopes you will eventually start finding villages built in the higher altitudes, where the Angeli live. Here they live peacefully together, spending their lives pursuing the arts or simply trying to be happy.
Ear stood at the edge of the cliffm his long hair sweeping around behind him as the wind blew against him from below. His eyes closed, he hummed a soft tune into the wind as the sun faded into the horizon.
A familiar Angeli swooped gracefully down to stand to the side and behind Earoluim. The white-haired and winged Gillian, watcher of the mountains, folded his wings back behind him. He smiled at the scene of the graceful Angeli humming to the sunset. He dared not speak, lest he break the tune.
As the sun vanished from sight and the moon rose into the sky Ear stopped humming, allowing the tune to be carried on the winds as they blew throughout the realm. He smiled gently and turned around. "Salutation Gillian." He said quiet and gently. "How are you this evening ?" He asked after taking a bow.
"As well as can be, Earoluim," Gillian replied with a sigh. He rubbed his face to try and awake the flesh from tiredness. "I've been watching the mountain passes. Nothing to warn of, really. But watching the sea has brought attention to me of Elven ships. They weren't so close as to be a threat, but I fear they are planning something." He cast a worried look at Earoluim. "We all know how much they hate all Etherians."
Ear shook his head."They all cannot hate us so." He said to Gillian. "An entire race cannot simply have so much animosity for another." He added. "But let us venture a look and see what they are up to." He said with a gentle smile, his wings sprouting out of magical runes on his back. "Shall we?"
Gillian shook his head. "I would not risk it. I saw them from afar, and wished to go no further." He paused to pull his tunic and cut-cloak tighter about him against the night's chill. "Besides, I am weary and wish to sit in a hall with dancing, song, and wine." He raised an eyebrow at Earoluim. "I would advise you not to be hasty, Ear. You may be a superb swordsman, but Elven arrows bite hard and deep. Even if there are some Great Elves who do not wish us dead, I doubt they are on those ships." He shook his head, causing his brown locks to sway, as the feathers on his wings rustled.
Ear smiled and shrugeed his shoulders." One will never know." He said as his wings melted back into the runes. "Besides, a hall full of dancing and wine sounds agreeable if one would not mind the company?" He said cheerfully.
Gillian smiled a clapped a hand jovially onto Earoluim's shoulder. As he let his wings out to stretch and warm up, he nodded at the other Angeli. "You know you will always be welcome to join me at table. I hope you grace us with your voice tonight, as well," he said hopefully.
Ear smiled gently and nodded his head. "Grace is such an untold flattery when one stretches the actuality of things my friend." He said to his friend. "But if one wishes I shal not offend them."
Grinning widely, Gillian rushed to the edge of the cliff and leapt off. His wings banked him round so that he was following the mountain's side along, updraughts keeping him sailing along effortlessly. He glanced back to see if Earoluim was going to follow.
Ear leaped off the side off the cliff and let the wind rush at him. Smiling he spreads his coat and slows decent.
The moon lit their way, easily showing Gillian where out-crops of rock would be a danger to their precious wings. Recognising a painted symbol on a cliff-face to their left, he swung himself across to the right, banking into a ravine that was dotted with lights from cave-dwellings that had fire's lit inside. Beating his wings a few times brought him up to a current of air that was flowing through the ravine, and would guide them to their destination.
Ear curled himself up and rolled over, his wings melting out of his back. After falling a moment he let them explode out towards the heavens,glidin
g on the air behind Gillian. Soaring a little above him, pleasantly in the moonlight.
Gillian slowly began beating his wings to raise them up to a level near the clifftops before banking onto a flattened area that was peopled with a few bystander Angeli round the edge of the landing zone. Torches held in niches in the cliffwall helped illuminate the area, and the flames danced as Gillian beat his wings heavily so as to land slowly and gracefully.
Circling the area as Gillian landed, Ear waited a bit and soared higher a bit. Leaning back he let his wings melt back into his back as he began to fall towards the landing area. His hair and his coat trailing into the wind that pushed around his body, a smile gently and warm spread across his face.
Gillian headed into the hall area, looking about at the subdued groups of people inside. Something wasn't right. There was no music or dancing, only the gentle hubbub of people talking amongst themselves quietly. His eyes fell on a couple of Gurula Etherians standing outside a doorway on the far side of the hall. "What are Gurula doing all the way up here?" he wondered aloud, noticing how the two large beast-men were armed and eyeing all around them guardedly.
Ear came slowly behind his friend, his smile gone replaced by an emotionless look as he walked along the hall area. His eyes closed as he filled his other sense into the room, uncertain what to make of the situation at the exact moment.
Gillian turned his head slightly to Earoluim as he whispered to him. "Make no move to them. Let us see why they are here first. I imagine their intentions will be plain soon," he finished as he gestured to Ear that he should follow him to a table where they could sit.
Ear smile returned. " What ever made you think I was to move on them my dear friend?" He asked sarcastically, following his friend, folding his arms behind his back.
"You're not the only one who distrusts the Gurula," Gillian whispered to Ear as they sat together. "But remember that we don't want any bloodshed, especially on our homeland. Besides, I suspect that they're not here for the wine." He returned a smile to Earoluim. "And I don't think they're alone."
"I know that they are not alone." he said calm and unemotional as his smile faded a bit as he looked at the soldier brutes. " As for spilling blood on our homeland, is only for a last resort." He added, turning and walking down the hall.
One of the Gurula bent his head towards the doorway as if listening, and then motioned to his partner that they should stand apart from the entrance. As they moved apart, a twisted and ugly Davorian walked in to the room between them, eyeing the Angeli gathered in a way that was not all too kind.
Ear looked back at the Gurula with a look of unemtionality, walking towards a table to sit and attempt to enjoy an evening with his friend.
Gillian surreptitiously nodded slightly towards the Davorian. "What do one of those creatures want with the Angeli? I suspect something's brewing, and it isn't going to taste good," he said, using an odd metaphor.
Ear smiled and shook his head.
The Davorian coughed slightly before trying to raise itself to a larger height. "Attention everyone," it quailed out, its voice small and unimpressive. "Attention, people of the Angeli!"
Ear looked over at the Davorian, waiting for the statement it was apparently about to give out.
The Davorian gazed about at the Angeli that were now watching it, its harsh eyes meeting any that attempted to stare it down. "We are all Etherians here, all part of the same roots," its quivering voice spoke out. "We are calling the Angeli to join the Davorians and Gurula in open war against the Humans of Futro." It paused to allow this information to settle before continuing. "Already your wise elders are convening on the matter, and it will only be a matter of time that they agree with the Davorian ruling." Its eyes met those of Earoluim briefly. "It is Etherealm or Futro. Neither can exist while the other does."
Ear stared the Davorian down and thought to himself as the information settled into his mind.
The Davorian motioned to its Gurula bodyguards, and the three moved down the hall and out of the entrance.
Gillian moved to Earoluim as the Davorian left. Already hushed conversations were rising from the gathered folk. "I can't believe that the Angeli would move to open war," he said quietly to Ear.
Ear thought to himself for a moment, looking about the room blindly. "I don't think that they did so willingly. Someone or something must have something to hold over the heads of the counsel." he said quietly to Gillian.
Gillian nodded gently, his white locks shifting slightly. "I cannot see any reason that the Elders would see for war. Even though the Elves hate us, and the Humans are wary of us, we have never done anything to harm any of them. It is ingrained fear and prejudice that drives people against us." He sighed heavily. "But what reason do we have to fight Humans? What have the Davorians told the Elders?"
Ear sat there in thought and simply shrugged his shoulders.
Gillian nudged Ear slightly with his shoulder. "Go ask the Elder what is going on. They respect you enough to tell you the truth." He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "We also know that if they need your help, they're too proud to ask." He looked into Earoluim's eyes.
Ear nodded his head in agreement and stood, he leaned over and kissed his friend on the forehead and gave a smile. he moved off down the hall in the direction of the consel chambers to speak with the elders.
A black-haired and bearded Angeli watched Earoluim enter the small council back room. "Earoluim, it is good to see you in these dark times," the man known as Vorantus said. His eyes were red-rimmed, as though he hadn't slept for a while. He motioned for Ear to sit across from him at the small table as he poured wine for both of them.
Ear smiled and bowed his head to Vora and took a seat."Dark times it would seem, Davorians outside telling us it is only a matter of time before we must take up our amrs in war instead of in musice and poetry." he said softly.
Vorantus nodded. "Dark times indeed. You know how I dislike the Davorians' assumption that they are intellectually superior to us. However, they have the backing of the Gurula, and they could make life very uncomfortable for us." He took a hard swig from his wine. "I'm not trying to say that the Davorians would go to war with us, but... well... I wouldn't put it past them." He finished his first cup of wine and poured another. "And this ridiculous notion that we should war against the Humans. We're in the far South of Etherealm here. How can we possibly affect Humans in Futro? The ones I'm worried about are the Elves of Whitefield Isle."
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