“The Silent Siren was thrashing around the Crystallian Sea, the water almost enveloping it with every new wave it threw. No one on the ship knew if this was going to be the beginning or the end of the storm in front of them. All they knew was that the sea was angry at them. Many believed that it was the gods way of saying that their purpose was a foolish one – to go to the village of Rein to decide if Spelcrafters should have their way and be free from Emperor Nicolai’s grasp or be held forever in his iron grip. There were some odd passengers on this ship, a Paladin and a general who would be entrusted to watch the Spelcrafters, ensuring the safety of others. There was also the general’s sister, a young woman wanted to prove herself in the way of espionage. There was many a member of the clergy on this ship as well, but none were as interesting as the Spelcrafting leader of the Stroneth’s Bards theatre troupe and his dwarven companion, who happens to be the protagonist of tonight’s tale...” 
Tapping my quill on my chin, I stare at the page, pondering what I should write next. I always wanted to write a play that was based on myself, and since I am bored out of my mind, I decided now was the perfect time to give it a try...again. Twirling my long brunette hair around my fingers, I continue staring at the page deep in thought, but I still find myself blanking on any of the words I could use to describe myself. This is a tricky thing to do when trying not to reveal too much. All of a sudden, a large pale hand snatches the paper off my desk from behind. Taken back, I immediately jump out of my chair, turning around to face the thief. Unfortunately, I can’t say much because, standing in front of me was Olivier. Half of his reddish-brown hair is tied into a loose ponytail, while the rest barley touches his shoulders. A deep red scarlet necklace dangles around his neck and his deep oaken brown eyes are full of skepticism as he examines my writing. The human shakes his head softly and shoves the page into my chest. “Locke, how many times do I have to tell you that works of nonfiction never do us any good! All it does is bore people to death!”
“Tell me Olivier, if I were your precious Donello would this even be a conversation right now?”
“If you were Donello there would be no reason for it.” Olivier snaps, “He just listens to what I say the first time. No questions asked.”
My onyx black eyes burn holes into the back of the Spelcrafter’s skull as he made his way to the stairs back to the Silent Siren’s deck. I felt these same eyes roll back so deep into my head as I mutter, “In bed.”
“What did you just say?” Olivier barks as he turns back towards me.
“I said that Donello doesn’t give a shit about your beliefs!” I snap back, slamming the paper onto the desk, “If he did, he would be here on this godforsaken ship instead of me! There’s a difference between a bedmate and a lover!”
“Oh and I suppose that you know all about that, don’t you dwelf?” Olivier replies.
I open my mouth but close it just as quickly. If there was anything I had learned throughout the years, it was when Olivier was asking me a loaded question. My dark eyes set their gaze to the floor, clenching my fists at my sides. There was a time when I could have easily called myself Oliver’s lover, but the term was much looser these days. Sheepishly glancing back at Olivier, I couldn’t help but notice a wry smile on his face. He knew that he had won this battle, and I resent him for it.
“That’s what I thought. Now, why don’t you go and write something that will make the Bards some real coin for once.”
My face begins to burn, anger flowing through my veins. Real coin?! My plays were the only reason we even had any money! Olivier’s shoulders relax as he let out a sigh, then he approaches me and cups my face in his hands. His hands are soft as lilies when they first bloom in the spring. The human looks directly into my eyes as he pushes my hair behind my slightly pointed ear. “Now don’t go looking at me like that. You’ll ruin your pretty face and give yourself wrinkles.” his eyes softening as he bends down and continues in a hush whisper,
“If everything goes well in Rein maybe you and I can start a new life, get away from all the drama back in Stroneth.”
Gods why did he have to look at me like that?! It is usually hard for me to stay upset with him when he starts giving me those loving eyes. A smile starts to find its way to my face, my body starting to release its tension. If this were any other time, I would have let Olivier kiss me tenderly, leaving nothing but a trail of passion behind us. I almost fall for his words when the image of a deep skin elven man in silken fuchsia scarves floods kissing Olivier passionately clouds my mind, my heart beginning to race. Without a second thought, I slap Olivier’s hand off my face and turn my head away from him. “The only reason why there is anything wrong back home is your fault.” I hiss.
“Is it amorena?” Olivier ask before he whispers into my ear again, “Or is it yours?”
Refusing to look at the human, I hear him ascend the rickety stairs leading to the ship’s deck. The door shut tight behind him, soft enough to seem like a sweet ending to conversation to most. But to me, it was an unbridled rage. I want to scream so loud that it would deafen everyone above me, but I know that it will accomplish nothing. “Get away from the drama. There wouldn’t be any drama if you kept your hands to yourself!” throwing my arms in the air at the absurdity of it all, “Dammit, that was a good comeback! Why didn’t I say that when he was here?” I let out a groan, slamming my fists against my head, “Stupid, stupid, stupid dwelf! You never say the right shit when you need to!” The building pressure of anger and frustration becomes too much to bear, and in blind moment of rage I flip the desk over. However, this did not quell the frustration still seething deep within my chest.
I look down at the paper on the floor, the bottle of black ink spilling all over it. Normally I would have instantly panicked and tried to save the manuscript, but nothing was normal. I didn’t expect it to be for a while, not with how our conversation went. An image of Donello flashes through my mind again and jealousy fuels my thoughts. Just thinking of how that dancing bastard flounces around and would make a fool of himself just to get attention infuriates me! What the hell did he have that I didn’t anyway?! It clearly isn’t knowing Olivier for eight years and being in a relationship for six of those! Donello is not known for his smarts either, that son of a bitch. The only thing he has right now that I don’t is...no. No, he didn’t have that. I have that! Olivier wouldn’t have agreed to letting me go with him to Rein if Donello had that...right?
Olivier’s smiling brown eyes appear in my mind with Donello in his arms, letting the human commanding the elf’s waking days. As Donello and Olivier’s laughter floods my mind, I grit my teeth and snatch the dripping manuscript off the floor, ripping it to shreds, watching the pieces fall to the ground like snow. The bottle of ink was my next victim as I threw it hard across the room. The glass bottle explodes into a million tiny pieces as the ink leaves a stain on the wall. Next is the quill. Seizing it from the floor with my ink-covered hand. I am about to rip the swan feather asunder until my dark onyx eyes spot the engraving on the white glass handle. The inscription was hand carved by Olivier and his gift to me long before we had even considered a relationship...and his way of confessing his love. My eyes gaze upon the golden lettering that was carved by those delicate hands seven years ago – Let no one steal your brilliant mind. It is only yours, and why out of everyone in Stroneth, it is you who are mine, amorena.
Tears fill my eyes as I read those words. Remembering how long he had spent saving every piece of gold he could get his hands on to buy me this, after I had finally run away from my father’s noble home in the “dwarven utopia” of Heilwig. Before I even considered being in a relationship with anyone. Before the pain of slowly drifting apart. Before Donello was in our lives...before...
I fall to my knees and begin to silently sob as I hold the quill tight to my chest. The only thing that Donello has that I don’t is Olivier’s affections. What had happened to us? The world used to be so simple! Now Spelcrafters that didn’t serve Emperor Nicolai are considered illegal and in danger, having to hide from the emperor’s Paladins. Donello could give less of a damn about that, so long as he has a body to warm his bed. What was it going to take for Olivier to see that after all the temptations I have endured that I still care for him and him alone? I offered to go to the Petition with him when Donello refused, didn’t I? As I curl into a ball on the floor, my short breaths begin to even out. I closed my eyes, praying that this was all a dream and that I would wake from it soon, that Olivier and I never met Donello, that we were back in our small flat in Stroneth...that everything was normal.
“Olivier wait for me! Please, don’t go to the Petition! It’s dangerous out there and you know it! What if a Paladin sees you?!” I cry out as I reach for the beige robes of the Spelcrafter.
The human turns around and quickly snaps back, “What part of this Petition is history in the making don't you get? Not only that, but the right side of it? You support the idea of mages being legal no matter what, don’t you?”
“You know I do Olivier! I want you and every mage to be free to do what they want whether they serve His Majesty or not!” I beg him as my anxiety grows with every second, “What I don’t agree with is going to a place where you know people are rioting!”
“Sometimes people get hurt for the greater good of all humanity!” Olivier counters, his dark brown eyes never leaving my face, “Haven’t you heard that sometimes to save the majority some sacrifices must be made? That if you remain quiet that nothing gets done?”
I pull on Olivier’s robes even harder, my head shaking violently, tears streaming down my face, “But that doesn’t mean you have to be one of them! Why can’t you just stay here where it’s safe and-”
Suddenly Olivier’s lips begin to caress mine, his warm hands holding my face. His thumbs wipe away my tears as I begin to kiss him back. I never thought that Olivier would kiss me this way again...it felt like eons ago when this was normal. When he pulls away from me, there was a small smile on his face. Olivier pushes away my brunette hair and whispers, “If you don’t want to come that’s fine. Just...promise you’ll wait here for me? I’ll be back before the sun rises over the mountain...ok?”
I cast my gaze over towards the ground, then slowly nod my head as I whisper softly, “Promise.”
I look up at Olivier one last time and let go of his robes, watching them fall gently to the ground. The mage kisses my forehead and says with a grin that would make angels jealous, “I’ll be back before you know it! Promise!”
Before he could turn away from me, Olivier’s eyes flash into light hazel with hints of red. His gentle face shifts into a bloodthirsty one, his hands moving from his sides to his face as if he is covering it. My blood curdles at the sight of this grotesque transformation. What was going on? Why was this happening? Then slowly, blood starts appearing all over his body. “Why did you stop trying to persuade me Locke? Aren’t you here to save me amorena?” Shaking my head in disbelief, I begin to back away from Olivier. This isn’t real, it can’t be! I try to run away from the horrific sight, but it isn’t long before Olivier is in front of me, his face soft but eyes threatening. “I wonder,” he began as he tapped his chin inquisitively, “How long will it take for the fox to find you? Shouldn’t be too long now.”
A cloak figure's silhouette emerges from the shadow beneath him and wraps itself around my body. Another voice joins Olivier’s in a laugh that could cause anyone discomfort. I couldn’t move even if I want to. I could feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest, just like it had that day. No matter how much I try to scream, my voice is silent. Suddenly, something explodes behind Olivier. Then the sky turns into a deep orange, creating a wide opening. Wails of fear surround me in all directions. However, it did not dampen Olivier’s maniacal laughter.
“You didn’t answer my question Locke!” he spat, taking my face in his hands, eyes completely red, his necklace glowing brighter than the sun, “I thought you were supposed to be my savior!” His hands become cold as he traces down my wet body and... wait a minute...
I quickly get off the floor, my side soaking wet from the water that is streaming down the stairs. The ship tips sharply towards the starboard side, sending me flying towards the ink covered wall. The quill in my hand shatters from the impact of the blow, but I don’t have time to think about that. I try to gather my balance to stand, but the ships rock violently back and forth. Every time I get to my feet, I am back on the ground as the ship is down in another direction. I manage to grab a hold on the wall and carefully make my way to the door. If this ship keeps moving like this, water won’t be the only thing on the floor. Climbing the slippery stairs, I can hear the screams of the crew above my head becoming louder the further I ascend the staircase. Soon I am able to reach the cabin door, water pouring out from the small crack at the bottom. I grasp the handle firmly with my trembling hand, but to my utter horror it doesn’t move. I could feel the water soaking through my boots as I vigorously shake the handle of the door. “Hey! Is anyone out there? Someone let me out of here please!” I cry out, frantically slamming the door with my other hand. Desperate to get out, I throw my weight against the timber door. A resounding crack echos throughout the cabin. However, the noise wasn’t coming from the wooden barrier.
Is that...ice? Why the hell is there ice back there? There’s only ice on a ship this size if...shit! I throw my weight against the door harder than before. Pain surges through my shoulders as I curse, “Of all the things I didn’t get from my father, why did it have to be strength?!”
Why the hell did the Spelcrafters have to freeze the blasted door! Annoyance overtakes my nervousness as the situation becomes even more infuriating. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. Carefully, I back away from the door and down onto the stairs trying not to fall on the slick surface. Then bracing myself, I burst into a sprint, charging towards the door at full speed. If this didn’t work, I’m breaking my shoulder for nothing. Thankfully, the door splits open with the hinges barely hanging on the frame. Finally, I am on deck, but my newfound happiness is seamlessly replaced with the dread I had felt moments ago.
My body freezes in place. Staring in awe as the waves of the Crystallian Sea are hitting the ship. Clergy members scramble to heal anyone who is injured while some of the Spelcrafters are trying to freeze the waves as their fellows are being pulled overboard. Others had decided that their freedom was not worth facing this storm and willingly threw themselves to the depths below. The ship continues rocking back and forth violently, the tides worsening with each passing second. Was I better off staying in the cabin and drowning there? Then a horrible realization dawns on me. Where is Olivier? My breath starts to quicken, and terror grips my heart. Oh gods...did he get tossed to the sea already?! Was he up on the mast?! I look around hysterically, trying to find him in the crowd of confusion and fear. At this moment I want nothing more than to run into his arms and hold him close.
Before the panic completely takes over me, someone shakes me. “Locke? Locke, can you hear me? Locke!” I didn’t have time to answer before they start slapping my face to bring me back to reality. Jenna’s shoulders relax when I stop her onslaught, but her lilac eyes are filled with terror. “Thank the gods you’re alright!” Jenna says with relief in her voice, as she twists my body to face the mast, “You know how to bring up the trysail right?”
The color in my face drains away as I look up at the impossibly tall pole. Before I even consider answering her, the ship begins thrashing about, worse than what I felt in the cabin below. Jenna manages to grab one of the ropes nearby with one hand and me with the other. The remaining crew members cry out in despair as they are falling to their demise. I make the mistake of looking down into the watery depths below, watching everyone clawing the ocean to stay afloat, stealing what little air they could only to be swallowed up by the sea once again. If there was any rosiness left in my cheeks, it’s gone now. I’m holding onto Jenna for dear life, even after the ship returns to an upright position. I turn my eyes back to Jenna, searching for an answer “Jenna, if you don’t mind me asking, what the hell is a-”
Jenna didn’t give me time to finish my sentence as she shoves me towards the mast and screams “Just take the rope on the mast and pull it towards you! That should bring up the trysail and make our main sail come down!”
As I look to the mast and the lightning cracking in the sky above it. I nervously nod to Jenna and run towards the mast as fast as I can, fighting to keep my balance as the ship teeters back and forth. Dammit, of all the people to ask to fix whatever a ‘try sail’ was, why did Jenna have to ask the one person who’s never been on a ship his whole life? When I reached the mast, I took hold of the rope and started pulling it with all my might. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get the damned thing to move. Am I even doing this right? Frustration fills me as waves splash all over the deck. I had stopped paying attention to it for a while as I kept tugging the rope, hoping that soon it will release the mainsail.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a rush of the sea coming right at me. My eyes widen in fear as it comes closer. Is this my final fate, dying completely alone? Before the water could hit me, a nearby mage freezes the water. I didn’t get a chance to look at my savior, for soon my question was answered. A fair hand, larger than mine placed itself over my beige hand – one that I am all too familiar with. I look up at Olivier in relief as he starts pulling the rope. He met my gaze, his eyes filled with as much fear as I felt before they filled with annoyance. “Are you just going to keep giving me bedroom eyes or are you going to help me lift this thing?” He barks.
My relief was short lived, quickly replaced with frustration. “It’s about damned time you showed up!” I fuss while tugging on the rope even harder than before, “Where the hell have you been? I have been worried sick about you!”
Then, up above I saw the lightning increasing by the second. The sound of the sea and thunder becomes so loud it is deafening. When I blinked, I thought I saw the sky split open and turn orange...just like in my dream. I look over at Olivier and watch in shock as his face switches from the one I know and the one with the strange eyes. Then, the sky cracks louder than it had before, the lightning strikes the mast and the mainsail bursts into flames. Judging by the way this wooden pole was leaning, I knew that it wouldn’t hit me when it fell. Without even thinking, I push Olivier away from the mast as the wood begins to be set ablaze. Olivier looks annoyed at first, but this is soon replaced with a fear I have never seen on his face before as he looks behind me.
But by the time I turn around, it is too late. The next wave had already cleared the starboard side of the ship and crashes directly into me. I can feel the water fill my body quickly as I grab hold to the unstable mast. I didn’t even begin to spit up water after it had releases me before something strikes me in the back of my head.