Arun

The forest was huge. Even though I wasn't supposed to be here, I couldn't help
marveling at the beauty of the ancient trees. Saevel, my elf friend, was supposed to be
here soon, and Vesstan, my dwarf friend, was still riding his Kromgul, a magical horse-
dragon-wolf hybrid. I still was waiting for Saevel, when an elf poked his head from
behind a tree.
"Human! You're not supposed to be here!" he yelled.
"No, sir. I'm waiting for a friend!" I replied.
"Well, I'll wait with you. What's your name?"
"Arun, sir. What's yours?"
He smiled. "Mariel." He reached out his hand, and I shook it. "I'm in the elven
spying department. I look out for enemies, and unusual things. In about five seconds, an
enemy will come by." He said casually. I was instantly on alert, looking around
frantically. Mariel reached behind him for a bow then fitted an arrow to the string.
Five seconds later, a giant Kromgul rode between the trees at an alarming
speed. Mariel pointed his bow up, then took a shot at the Kromgul. It seemed to hover in
the air for a second, then came crashing down right in front of Mariel. The arrow the he
had shot was buried right in the middle of the Kromgul's torso, the only vulnerable place
if the entire creature.
I stood gaping in awe at the supernatural marksmanship.
"How? How... How?!?" I asked in surprise.
Mariel looked around, as if this was a closely guarded secret.
"Truth is, us elves can do magic. I just used a spell that slows down time, giving
me just enough time to take the impossible shot. Same with knowing when that Kromgul
was coming. I just used a basic seeing spell, that lets me see the future." he replied.
"That's neat sir!" I replied politely.
Just then, I realized that the dead Kromgul looked familiar. I took a step closer,
and the shock of what had happened hit me like a Fromgul at full speed. (Fromguls are
just Kromguls that move much faster) The dead Kromgul belonged to my friend,
Vesstan.

Saevel
Honestly, it wasn't my fault. My dad, Merial, and his brother, Mariel, had gone
hunting. My mom, Verana, was at her job as a sorcerer. I was left alone at our little
treehouse. And, well, I am sort of accidentally one of the most powerful magic elf
children. So it wasn't really my fault that a fire elemental was accidentally summoned in
the living room. Sorry.
But unfortunately, I was delayed from meeting Arun and Vesstan in the forest
because I had to 1) put out the fires that the elemental had set and 2) unsummon the
fire elemental.
First things first. I conjured a small flood of... Gummy bears. Oops, wrong spell.
Darn. Next, I conjured a small flood of... Ice cream. Works, sort of. I don't have much
energy left for conjuring, so ice cream will have to do.
Now for the fire elemental. The best way to do that is to channel energy into ice,
shoot it at the elemental, then teleport it back to it's volcano home. Okay. Ice. Focus
Saevel I thought. Then, with a motion, I created ice out of pure energy. Oh wait, that's


not ice. That is... A tray of ice cubes. Should work... I shot the ice tray at the elemental.
It hissed and screamed in pain. Quickly, I opened a portal to... A huge elven city. That
won't work. I tried again. Success! A volcano appeared under the elemental, and it
popped through the portal into the volcano. All in a days work.
Oh gosh. The house was a mess. A quick cleaning spell should work... Shoot.
Now the entire house was bright neon pink. Well, I hope Verana liked pink, because I
didn't know any spells to change it back. Shoot. I'll just teleport away and hope nobody
notices...

ZAP

I re-formed near Arun, and, surprisingly, Mariel. They were both standing near a
dead Kromgul.
"Saevel!" Arun greeted me with a smile. Then his face darkened. "Saevel, that is
Vesstan's Kromgul. Mariel killed it."

Vesstan
Let me tell you, it is not fun to have your Kromgul shot and killed while you are on
it. Trust me. I know from experience. Sure, it is painful for a while, but eventually, the
dwarf healing factor kicks in. The thing is, us dwarves can heal exceptionally quickly.
However, we are almost always hungry. Then the elves can use magic, and the humans
can resist pain.
But for bigger injuries, the longer it takes for me to heal. As in this case. About 45
minutes after that stupid elf shot my Kromgul, I woke up almost buried underneath the
Kromgul. Faintly, I heard,
"One... Two... Three... Heave!!!". The Kromgul lifted a few inches, and I helped
push it upwards. My muscles weren't sore, because my healing factor automatically
repaired them. After about 15 seconds of heavy lifting, I got out from under the Kromgul.
Saevel, Arun, and an elf who looked vaguely like Saevel stood over me. I stood
up, dusted myself off, and asked,
"So... Who shot me?"
The other elf stepped forward.
"I did," he confessed. "My name is Mariel... And I can bring your Kromgul back, if
you want."
"That would be great, sir. Thank you."
Mariel spoke briefly with Saevel, then they joined hands and casted a spell. The
Kromgul shuddered, then began hissing and snarling from it's wolf head, and stamping
it's hooves against the ground. My Kromgul was ready to fly.

Kolvar
It usually isn't very hard to be a policeman in Erastus. Except when the thief
you're chasing has cat claws and can run up walls.
"Stop, Thief!" I yelled as a nimble body ran through the crowds clutching a fat
sack of gold. I spurred on my horse, Moonraker, towards the thief. Eventually, we were
neck and neck. I drew my huge broadsword, then made a slash at the thief. However,
he dodged it and climbed onto a nearby Kromgul. The Kromgul took flight, soaring


above the city streets. I back flipped off my horse, then jumped onto another Kromgul
near me. My Kromgul took off towards the thief's, and eventually I caught up with him. I
leapt off my Kromgul and onto his. The added weight made it shudder and slowly start
to fall.
Meanwhile, I was desperately trying to injure the thief with my fists. However,
there was an added complication of him having cat claws. I'm not talking house cat
claws, I'm talking about TIGER claws. He scratched at my face, not leaving any mark
thanks to my human ability of being able to resist injury.
Then, he tried to push me off the Kromgul. But somehow, I held on. By now the
beast was almost to the ground. The thief jumped off it and ran away. I could distantly
see him still running, eventually running right up and over the walls of Erastus.

Mariel
The column of worgs marched past. If you're wondering, worgs are an interesting
hybrid of humans and wolves. Before now, there was not many worgs, but now, elves
are required to stay in there homes because of the massive armies of worgs raiding
nearby villages.
I waited in a giant tree with a few other elf spies like me. In the other nearby
trees, more spies crouched or clung to branches.
As planned, the column of worgs slowed. All of the elf spies leapt from their
respective trees and unleashed a storm of arrows at the worgs. The enemy army
scattered in pain, leaving behind their dead and injured. Each spy casted a shielding
spell on themselves, then drew wickedly sharp, curved elven blades. We advanced
toward where the enemy lay hidden behind trees, bushes, and other obstructions.
The first worgs were found. Wolffish howls echoed around us as we charged
forward to the enemy. I found a worg trying to hide behind a log. Before he could even
react, I stepped forward and stabbed him. He didn't stand a chance.
I found the next one behind a tree. This one saw me first. He snarled and
unsheathed his long claws. (If you're wondering, a worg looks like a wolf, just one that is
standing upright.) The worg took a slash at my face, but I blocked it and cut off his hand.
He howled in pain and rage, then tried to bite me. Stress on the word tried. As his head
came forward, I held out my sword and ended up stabbing him. He let out a low, guttural
death scream and slumped forward onto me.
I looked around, and most of my comrades were either dead, wounded, or
fighting more worgs. However, there was one huge worg in the middle of the cluster of
trees. Other remaining worgs surprisingly ran straight into each other, melding and
morphing into one worg that was twice the size of a regular one. Soon, there weren't
just a bunch of small worgs, there was a few massive ones. Even though they were
being peppered with arrows from the remaining elf spies, the giant worgs were still
standing.
As one, the giant worgs ran into each other. For a few seconds, they melted,
melded, and morphed, but eventually, a gargantuan worg stood where the giant worgs
had been.
It swung its fist down, scattering the elf spies. Volleys of arrows shot up at it
again and again, but the beast was undaunted.



Gorgrim
Most people think that dwarf miners are basically slaves. I don't. In fact, I love
mining, especially the joy of finding something amazingly beautiful. Most days, we don't
find anything interesting, usually a few diamonds and the occasional ruby. But that one
day, we found something. Something out of the ordinary.

Arun
Have I told you about the game before? Probably not. Every year, nine children
are picked to compete. Three humans, three elves, and three dwarves. Each human
receives a sword, each dwarf receives a war hammer, and each elf receives a bow and
arrows. Then, the three races try to kill each other. Fun. Also, each weapon can triumph
against one of the others. The war hammer smashes the sword, the bow disarms the
war hammer, and the sword cuts the bowstring. This year, I was picked. So was Saevel.
And same with Vesstan. All of us were picked to compete.
The only reason why this even happens is because the high council must be
pleased, otherwise they will destroy our world. So there is sort of a lot of pressure on
me, Vesstan, and Saevel.

Saevel
The small cart, drawn by a Kromgul, drew closer to Erastus. When I had been
chosen for the games, I had trained with a bow for weeks. In doing so, I had saved all of
my magic energy for the game. The other kids that were chosen from the elves sat
across from me, silently. They were both a few years older than me. One of them had
black hair, brown eyes. He was tall, but thin. The other had blond hair, and bright blue
eyes. She was about my height, and seemed like a strong wind would blow her away.
They both were clutching simple ash longbows. I was holding a maple recurve bow in
my hand. It would have been better for me if I used Mariel's massive oak longbow, but
he was off hunting either worgs or unicorns.
The cart entered the designated area for the chosen. All of us leapt out and took
our places, ten feet apart and behind a wooden door.
I tried making small talk with the other elves, but they were busy polishing their
bows and arranging their arrows in their quivers.
The door started to open, and I leapt forward, along with the other elves. The
games were beginning.

Vesstan
I was clutching my war hammer in my hands, peering around the arena, which
was a forest. The other dwarves were on my other side. One of them had two smaller
hammers, the other one had a massive hammer slung over his shoulder.
An arrow whizzed by my face.
"Duck!!!" I screamed. All of us dwarves hit the ground. We advanced toward
where the arrow came from, but we heard a blood-curdling scream and stopped. One of
the humans came crashing through the bushes toward us. He was holding a huge
blood-stained broadsword in two hands.


I leapt up, and smashed his sword with my hammer. He looked slightly puzzled
for a second, then his eyes widened a fraction before I did serious brain damage with
my hammer.
I felt sick inside. Silent tears of guilt and shame rolled down my face. I had just
pretty much killed someone. From the way he was bleeding, I knew he wouldn't be
recovering anytime soon, if ever.
"This game has to stop!!!" I yelled at the other dwarves. From behind a tree, I
heard a faint,
"I agree." It was one of the elves. She was clutching an ash longbow, and her
bright blue eyes gazed into my green ones.
"My brother was in these games last year. He was one of the dead ones." she
said. Her blue eyes shone brightly with tears.
"No," said the other dwarves in unison.
"Let's find that other elf," said the one with two hammers. She smirked, then an
arrow sprouted from her chest. She went down silently. The other dwarf looked around
for the attacker, then got an arrow in the thigh. He screamed once, a blood-chilling
sound. Then he fell silent. The attacker stepped out from behind a bush. He was tall and
thin. An ash longbow, like the other elf's, was in his hand.
"Yes. Let's find the other two humans and stop them," he agreed grimly.
"Wh-where's Saevel?" I asked with a note of fear in my voice.
"I have... no idea. I'm sorry."

Kolvar
It took a long time to file the report of that theft. And after I was done with that, I
had to stop a gang of thieves that happened to have bird wings from stealing jewels
from the kingdom's vault.
Basically, the entire city was under siege from half-animal thieves. And it was
getting worse.
One thief was a bear-human hybrid. He as much too powerful for me to
overcome. That was the day I died.

The thief didn't look too big from far away. However, once you got closer, you
could see that he was throwing people around and running through buildings. And I tried
to stop it/him.
That day, I realized just how stupid I am. Really. Charging into battle against an
unknown opponent, wielding only my sword and a shield.
The shield didn't help at all. When I sprinted to the thief and stabbed his foot, he
roared, turned around, knocked my shield out of my hand, then ate the shield. I was left
with only a sword.
He slashed at my face with both claws, but I blocked it with my sword. Then, he
ate my sword right out of my hand, battered me with both hands, and impaled me on his
foot-long claws. I let out a scream like no other. The world was closing in around me.
No
No
NOOOOOOOOO
I thought. Everything sank into darkness.



Mariel
The elf spies fled the battle, but it was too late. Only 37 of us, out of the original
1,000 were left. The rest, either dead or missing. Our kingdom was doomed. Our final
mission for the Elvenking was to find a way to escape the elf kingdom that was barely
holding together. All 37 of us set out on Kromguls, determined to find a way out.
I rode south. In a few hours (and the help of a time-speed up spell that I would
have to teach Saevel when she got back from the games) I was gliding over a desert,
when something was out of the ordinary. A hint of blue was far south. I could smell
saltwater, when a poison dart pierced my chest plate. Quickly, I whirled around, looking
for my attacker. A rider in black clothes, riding a Kromgul was behind me. I felt like an
idiot. Why hadn't I seen him?
Calmly, I pulled out my bow and one arrow, then shot the sniper in the leg. He fell
off his Kromgul to the ground hundreds of feet below.
But the poison was starting to weaken me. I could already feel its effects, making
me feel drowsy and sending lances of pain through me.

***3 hours later***

I stumbled into the throne room, barely able to move. Finally, I collapsed in front
of the throne.
"It wasn't... always like this. The high council... wasn't always here... the game...
it didn't always happen... the high council took over... with fire... and destruction." I
mumbled to myself. Louder, I said,
"Sir... we are surrounded... by... water!"
The Elvenking nodded.
"Farewell, Mariel, son of Lariel, brother of Verana, uncle of Saevel. Farewell,
Mariel, last of the elven spies. Go home, Mariel. Sleep into the future. Travel to the land
of eternal bliss. Go, Mariel," the Elvenking said solemnly and reverently.
"Tell Saevel... I didn't... make... it," I said in my final breath.

Gorgrim
We found a colony of morgs. Basically, mountain lions that stand upright and
have about foot-long claws. My group of miners paused for a second. Then one of the
morgs looked up from the meal it was eating and ran forward. It stabbed a miner in the
arm. The miner screamed, then his features started to morph into the features of a
morg. After about two seconds, the miner had grown taller and thinner, and looked
exactly like a morg. I was the last to start running. By the time everyone else started
running, I was close behind them, with a morg on my tail. It lunged forward, and I felt a
piercing pain in my hand. Then, I felt a change. Slowly, I became a morg, and my
thinking process became primitive.

Pain. Pain. More dwarves. Kill. Kill. Kill. Transform them all into morgs. Feed. So
hungry. Feed on dwarves. Spread the plague. Kill. Feed. Repeat.

Arun


Me and the other human ran through the woods, looking for more people to kill.
He didn't talk much. I had a simple peasant's sword, he was wielding two shining short
swords.
"Let's spilt up. We'll find more dwarves or elves that way," I suggested.
"Fine," he said bitterly. The boy ran off, away from me. I stumbled forward, then
tripped over a root. When I got up, I noticed two things: bloodstains on the ground and
voices talking. I followed the direction of the bloodstains.
A body was slumped against a tree behind some bushes. It was still holding on to
a maple recurve bow. I came closer and investigated.
"No. No! Saevel! NO! Wake up Saevel! Come back. Come back!" I sobbed. I was
kneeling on the ground now, holding Saevel's body in my arms and sobbing, sobbing for
her.
Vesstan came crashing through the undergrowth, holding a war hammer. He had
it raised, poised to strike. When he saw it was me, he lowered his hammer and knelt
next to me. We both knelt there and wept for Saevel for the longest time. Then I decided
to break the long silence.
I planted a kiss on Saevel's forehead.
"Farewell, Saevel," I uttered solemnly, "Farewell."