[Rosekitten]

He could tell he had pulled off something that most or maybe no one had done. The look on the others face was almost priceless even if he didn't express much of a emotion from the hit. Though at the present time Thalion hardly cared he managed to get a damned good shot on the mage, ignoring the fact he probably left a burn mark in the process of it. Though that was a skill he would rather have died with the rest of his clan.

So he was obeying some orders and would just kill without a damned cause? What the hell purpose was that? Sure going off stories he heard of his own kind they commonly slaughtered one another, his home being gone was proof of this. But still he thought there had to be a purpose or something some cause to justify the means to just slaughter some town that had no real defenses. Unless craftsmen with torches and pitchforks counted.

Though his next words were probably all too true. Most places they went Thalion kept his mouth shut and only spoke when he was required to do so. Not like he had to speak in order to work. But it was always the same glares or comments. There were certain races that were disliked by others and he was lucky enough to be one such race. Let alone one that was not commonly seen on the surface or during the daylight hours even. Though over the years he grew use to the looks or snide remarks. All but ignoring them now.

Besides that not everyone hated him just for what he was. Neimi had taught him that as well as a few others. The fact he was still alive today proved that not everyone was as simple minded as this mage would have him to believe. Even if they did hate him that was no reason to kill them... Maybe he was simple minded to think that way, even with people hating him he still managed to find work so what could he complain about?

Either way he had little to no chance to get away from Mizuki's spell. This one he had to admit he feared knowing too well of the reputation of the Eastern General. Spells like this gave him his name, the one that was feared. Though it seemed the mage still was toying with him as for whatever reason he left him alive when he could have easily killed him.

Telling him to learn his place and that his King would have what he wanted and would stop at nothing. No force could stop him. Thalion bit his tongue to keep from mouthing off and making this any worse. Though he wanted to say that there would be a force and that all things came to a end sooner or later. Or in the words of Neimi as she dealt with some of the boys who picked on her. The bigger they are the harder they fall.

Instead he kept his thoughts to himself as Mizuki seemed to finish and started to walk away. Talking about fate and such. Thalion hardly believed in such a thing. It was not written in stone if you were to ask him. Though he didn't take to the belief of gods and goddess' either. Even though most elven races were highly revolved around such entities.

One of them wouldn't leave alive huh? "Tsk you better pray to whatever god that isn't listening that we don't cross again." Smart mouth, he was asking for trouble though he was lucky Mizuki wasn't easy to set off or that might have been his doom. The other seemed to keep walking as he disappeared in the darkness finally.

The village later the next day was raided. Though it was mostly just those too foolish to leave that had remained. Any others took the Resistance warning and fled the town either going with them or going to another town. There was no point in trying to fight not when the Western general was there. They didn't have the forces built up for that type of defensive.

Though Mizuki might have been better off killing Thalion when he had the chance. It was after that day Thalion started to experiment with different metals and what properties they could hold. Over the years he perfected a lightweight metal that was both strong enough to stand against most weapons and held properties to safeguard against magic to a extent. It canceled certain spell effects and lessened others.

Over all it made battling mages far easier then it was and he was rather proud of that fact. He was counting on what the other said to come to pass. Over the years it also earned him a bit of a reputation as a spell breaker. Not that eh was looking for fame or a name for himself. In fact he made sure it was hard if not impossible for anyone to track any armor or weapons he crafted back to him. They all had the same brand yes but no one could tell you where it came from or who used it. Only the top leaders of the resistance even knew where such pieces came from.

Though it had been over five years now from the encounter with Mizuki. Thalion hardly took the words the other said lightly. He still refused to sign up as a fighter saying he was better suited to remain a smith or some line along that. Felix still ignored this and continued to drag him out of the camp whenever possible.

Also over the years Neimi grew older as well and was trained with weapons until her magic started to show up. She kept up with her weapon training none the less. Not like she would have missed it if her life depended on it, maybe being raised by Thalion some of that said love for fighting had rubbed off. Though she was old enough now that Thalion couldn't really stop her from tagging along with Felix on the scouting missions.

Commonly it was those three and a half blood ranger that was with them. The ranger was Raden, a outcast to elven kind and human alike. Though his parents were killed in one of the many villages that were slaughtered. Actually tat village had a number of half bloods in it and most were killed before the Resistance could get to their aid in time.

Between the four they normally took a few other soldiers with them but the odds of them finding trouble were slim to none. Normal scouting routes they might find a small group and pick them off before they could report back to their leaders. But normally the beasts of this area did the work for them. The Resistance main camp was hidden and tucked back in the cliff face that overlooked the plains.

The entrance itself was hidden by magic that was kept up at all times. and if anything dared to cross the plains it was normally swooped up by either the drakes that nested on the cliffs themselves or the griffins that took the plains and called them home. Their nests normally being tucked into the small groves of trees scattered across the seemingly endless plains.

There were a number of other beasts to fear out here as well. Though if you lived here certain ones seemed to avoid the resistance forces. The Western group had a number of beast tamers and rangers alike that could speak and understand the many beasts. Some were taught that they meant them no harm and the creatures accepted that so long as they were left alone.

Getting to the base was a challenge on many fronts, it was in the cliff face and falling meant certain death unless one could fly. and Flying there could be tricky if not another means of your death due to jagged ledges and spikes that made most spots too narrow to land on. This kept the drakes at the higher parts of the cliff as well so far enough where they were not a threat.

But today was a normal routine scouting route. They had encountered a few patrols over the last few weeks and it was worrying Felix that there might be more. They were too close to home to be left alone out here and how they were getting this far needed to be found out. Quickly at that.

"We'll split up from here to make sure there are no mini portals or teleport marks. I think that might be how they are getting this far." Though Felix was sure that they didn't know the main camp was here. There were a few towns around these areas and smaller villages and some nomadic clans as well. Odds were the Eastern King was just looking to spill more blood.

"If you find a camp somewhere mark down its location and we'll meet back here in a few hours. Anyone that is late will-" "We know Felix... anyone whos late makes you late for dinner and they will pay." Thalion rolled his eyes a little before walking off with Neimi close behind. "If you find anything try not to scream like a girl." Thalion laughed a little as Felix grunted a bit before him and Raden went the other way.

It was a drill they had been over a number of times so it hardly had to be repeated. No if you didn't come back then that was bad news. There wasn't enough forces to try a rescue or anything so odds were if you didn't come back then you were as good as dead.

Though Thalion thought that Felix might be over thinking this a bit. Odds were they were using cloaking magic and just making it across the plains. By the time they got this far the mage ran out of magic energy or they were too far from the mage doing the spell. Though that hardly meant his guard was down. The upside was that it was late in the afternoon so it would be dark soon and that meant he could stop cursing the damned sun. Something he swore he'd never get fully use to.