What if?  Elven hope
by Rydia

Kirkis stared at the burnt ruin of his village.
Everything was reduced to ashes by the hand of the
mad-man.  His friends.  His neighbors.  His kind.  Syl.

"Why?" he asked in a sorrow strangled voice.  "Why did
they have to attack so soon?  If we'd gotten here a
little sooner...  I should have been here! I could have
saved her!"

He got the ring out of his pocket and stared at it.  "I
was going to give Sylvina this ring when it was all
over.  But now she's gone.  I'll never see her again."
He let the ring drop from his hand to the group and
walked a few steps away.

One of the humans stepped forward and picked up the
ring.  The blond man, Gremio, said, "You can't give up
hope.  Sylvina might still be alive.  This ring is your
hope.  Don't abandon it."

Gremio pressed the ring into Kirkis' hand.  Kirkis
didn't resist or drop it again.  Maybe the human was
right.  Maybe Sylvina had escaped, or not been in the
village when the Burning Mirror struck.

There was a blue blur and a stirring of leaves.  Kirkis
turned and saw Stallion standing there.  The blue haired
elf had lost his usual proud and smug expression.
Instead he wore one of depression and weariness.

"Kirkis," the elf began, "I'm sorry.  I couldn't reach
her in time."

Kirkis' eyes widened at this confirmation of his worst
fear.

"The roof caved in.  The king, Sylvina, everyone.
Everyone died because I wasn't fast enough."

Kirkis stopped listening.  He clenched his fists around
the ring and glared at the human who had dared give him
hope.  Hope lost seconds later.

"I'm sorry," Gremio whispered.

Kirkis didn't want this man's pity.  He wanted the elf
he loved to still be alive!  He threw the ring as far
away as he could. What good was hope?  It wouldn't bring
her back.  Nothing would.

He turned and looked in the direction of General
Kwanda's castle.  That human would pay for what he had
done.  Kirkis would see to that.



Kirkis accompanied the commander of the Liberation Army
to the castle of Kwanda Rossman.  The humans were about
to forgive Kwanda for his actions while under the
influence of the dark rune when Kirkis intervened.  The
elf's only regret was that the arrow killed the human
instantly.