"Raging Hearts "
Detah and Calystah D'Alyse
Saryrn Server

Story by
Xantrani Daethmastre
Edited by Wyndforge

azed, wounded, and blind, Detah felt his way back off the battle field after a fierce solo struggle. The steps to the castle ruins were but a few cubits away, but in his state, it seemed like miles. He could feel his black blood seeping out and down his blue skin. His head felt as if he’d awoken from a night of heavy drinking with his guild-mates, and his wounds were in dire need of bandaging and care.

It seemed as if a visor of midnight had been pulled over his eyes. The giant millipede had injected its poison on its last bite and his sight very rapidly dimmed. Lucky for Detah, he’d placed a roll of bandages in his backpack just before he left camp. With trembling hands, he carefully bandaged his upper left arm and both thighs. He then sat on the stone steps, making sure to stay well hidden from further encounters. In his current state, just a few blows from a wandering foe may well mean his demise, and in these parts, Dark Elves were not taken too well.

The heat of the day had been absorbed by the flight of rock stairs, and just sitting there was painful, not to mention the constant throbbing of his lesions. Detah tried to cool down by drinking some water, but it had been heated by the sun through his leather pack. To be home again was the only thought on his mind.

The sudden sound of heavy footfalls caught his attention. The blinding poison was still obstructing his vision, but he was well hidden and tried his best to see who approached. From the carelessness of the approaching person, it seems his skills at concealment had worked. As he eavesdropped from his apparent safe location, he deduced that the person was wounded badly too, for he could hear soft lady-like whimpers. He listened for several minutes, and once he’d determined that there was no imminent danger, let out a sigh of relief.

“Who’s there?” The voice was that of an elven lady.

Detah tensed. Every muscle was under his control, and he struggled to silence even the beating of his heart. What seemed like minutes passed, and he could feel the cold hard stares of the maiden looking him up and down, assessing whether or not he would do her harm.

“Please answer me, who’s there? I have been blinded by a beast, and the last portions of my mental energies were used to call retribution from the skies to slay it.”

Detah relaxed. He spent his lifetime learning the subtleties of determining friend from foe, and his heart told him that this was not the latter. “I too am in need of attention.” From the sound of her voice, he had determined her location, more or less. He slowly stood up, and walked over to where he thought she was sitting. “Perhaps we can assist each other in binding our wounds?”

“You can start, milord, by getting off my cloak,” the lovely elven voice quipped.

The tension that had been in the air cleared instantly. Detah started to snicker. The Elven lady joined in, and soon, both were rolling on the stairwell holding their sides with laughter. Their fears subsided, and soon Detah was applying his bandages to the elven lady. She was as lovely as any Dark Elf he’d touched, yet her accent was off. She sat making small conversation as he applied the dressings. After a few minutes, she cast a spell, and his wounds and head were restored to health. They were still sore, and he’d need a few more castings, but he knew he’d be fine.

“Let me introduce myself, milady, I am Detah D'Alyse,” he said.

“Calystah, at your service,” was her reply. “It isn’t often you find warmth from a world so cold. I thank you for your kindness, and if you wait a while, I can heal the rest of your wounds … soon as I can cure my blindness.”

He chuckled “If you could, dearest Calystah, I’d appreciate the lifting of my loss of sight as well. It seems like we encountered the same beast.”

“I did not realize you were blinded as well. I will do my best,” said Calystah as she began preparing for the intricate spell.

“Typically when I have been on the receiving end of help from young man, it is because he expects something in return,” winked Calystah, placing an emphasis on the word “expects”. “But this is the first time I have been helped due to a man’s kind heart. You impress me, Detah.” Calystah’s words were genuine and sincere.

“Detah D'Alyse,” she thought, “what kind of high elven name is that?” Little did she know that a similar thought about her name had gone through Detah’s mind a few seconds earlier.

The heat of the day simmered into a breezy sunset as they continued their conversation. The passing over of the sun seemed to coincide with the subsiding of the fire in their hearts, and the two elves enjoyed the comfort of their newfound companionship.

Calystah was at last ready to cast the cure of Detah’s blindness. “Hold my hand as I summon a cure for our afflictions.”

She squeezed his hand as she started the spell. As the mystic words were flowing from her lips, he said “Thank you, my lady, for your kindness.”

They could feel the blood behind their eyes being purified, and like the dawn, the light of day gently faded in. The two held each other’s gaze as the blindness wore off – and they soon found themselves staring in horror at the site of the other.

Detah jerked his hand away as Calystah cried out in surprise. They sat at arm’s length from each other, staring in disbelief, each not knowing what to say, each careful not to make any sudden moves. Memories of generations of war and hatred came smashing down upon them in an instant, and although companions just moments ago, they were now two enemies in mortal deadlock.

Minutes passed and Detah finally looked away. He thought of the kindness Calystah shared with him and the feeling of spiritual warmth when her hand brushed his. This was certainly not what he expected his first encounter with a mortal enemy would be like. Slowly, Detah stood up.

“My lady,” began Detah. “I believe you are a long way from home. I am indebted to you for healing my wounds, and I would be honored if you would allow me to escort you to your destination.”

Calystah stood to face Detah slowly, wary of his offer. Was he being sarcastic? Was she walking into a trap. Then, she saw something she thought she would never see in her lifetime.

Detah, a dark elf, smiled at her.

Without saying a word, she took his hand in hers. It was the beginning of a strange friendship that slowly, over time, grew into something more.

Detah and Calystah defy the barriers of love on the Saryrn Server.