• Anna clenched her teeth as her thin long fingers grazed the thick solid glass before her. The thick column of glass stretched many feet taller than herself and was thicker than an adult Darakus' (dragon) neck. Inside the semi-transparent glass hovered a figure. Still, and unconscious. In contrast to her thick red mane, his was black as night and curved around his elven face.

    He appeared so peaceful in stasis. Yet she knew he wielded much more than his pretty face. He weilded the Kuhltjio Or in human speak: the key.

    His face was altered from view because of the refracting light, and the rough, rather opaque glass kept his identity indiscernible. She absently fingered the scar on her arm. This forsaken elf had caused all this. The War of the Races had already begun on this world. No race would be left out. Centuries would inevitably yield a crop of wars and famine upon this beautiful world.

    Her brow furrowed in the dim light. Unnecessary wars. The light around her was slowly fading as the full moon descended towards the horizon, and away from the top of the cavern she stood in. A good several feet stood between her and the mouth. Up at the top a figure peered it's reptilian head inside, "Aye love, is he in tight?"

    Anna peered up at the black darakus. Arius was small but still powerful. "Aye." quietly she climbed atop the glass column and grabbed his tail to be lifted out of the cavern. He set her down gently and turned to face her - bright amber eyes piercing the darkness. Unlike most darakus Arius was simply black with thick bones protruding from his head and one from his snout. The horn on his snout had been physically torn from him during a battle - as excruciatingly painful as it was - but the bony ends had splintered in edges so jagged it looked almost fuzzy. A thick course black mane stuck up in tufts all the way from his head to the tip of his tail. His mane would shed with his next molt and he would be a full fledged dragon finally, but that was at least another century or two away.

    Anna was a human, plain and simple. With hazel eyes and a rather short stature. She was the only human chosen to aid this world in it's time of need. As Arius was the only darakus and so were the others.

    "So are we ready?" a soft female voice called from the other side of the hole. Anna turned to the elf. Her soft light brown hair fluttered in the night breeze. Bright ice blue iris' glittered in the moonlight. In contrast to the other's armor, she wore a simple tunic and pants with her rapier at her side. Anna answered, "Aye Hermione, ready when you are."

    The elf closed her eyes, and summoned all the spirits of the earth. Gently they surrounded her, softly echoing noises of contentment of being by her side. She beckoned them to seal the cavern and they replied, shifting the soils and the rock so that nothing was left but a patch of grass where there had been a hole. The grass spirits thanked her for new life and spread welcome to the new soil.

    Opening her eyes she took in a deep breathe and sighed. "No one will find him. Not upon my watch." Hermione smiled softly at her comrades. "Take flight Anna, Arius. I am cursing this area from reach of the folk."

    Anna walked towards her and embraced the elf - who blinked in surprise. "We will meet again Hermione. For Thalius and Kairav's sake." The elf's eyes softened for a second then hugged her back.

    This was their final goodbye.

    Despite how "immortal" the elves were. They normally did not live passed three and a half thousand years. Anna was trekking through the worldly barriers to the place called "Terrasille" or "Earth" - in human tongue - to be with her kin. Arius was likely to rejoin his family in the southern islands. Hermione would never see her family again. Would never see her son again. It was her duty to guard the site and make sure no one disturbed it. With sealing herself inside of the barrier she would be cut off from the rest of the world.

    It was a hard decision to make. But she would never let the last of her strength go to waste.

    Hermione broke the embrace and ripped off her necklace. The pendant swung back and forth between them and glittered in the remaining moonlight. It was round marble of fluorite, a gem not even found on this world. In the moonlight it sparkled a bright light teal. The elf looked at it solemnly for a second then gently looped the thick black cord around Anna's throat, "Give this to the King of Ashkrah," she whispered in her light southern accent. Which was rather rare for an elf, and was the Earth equivalent of Arabic.

    Anna fingered the pendant but nodded, looking at her friend for the last time. "You will be missed Hermione." Arius, the proud darakus, padded forward and pressed the side of his head against her chest and she stroked his head. Showing such affection was rare for him after all, but Anna did not press jest upon him in such a tender and heartbreaking moment.

    Arius breathed a hefty breathe before moving from Hermione and kneeling to the ground for Anna to mount his shoulders. He stretched his thick black wings outward, blocking the moon from the elf's gaze. As soon as Arius lifted to his full height, a knowing wind filled the scaly skins of his wings so that taking flight was easier. The dark darakus rumbled, "Thank you Thalius."

    The elf just smiled and nodded, "Farewell my comrades."

    Arius and Anna took one last glimpse of Hermione waving before he walked then sprinted into the wind. With his wings fully erect he pushed off of the ground and towards the east, where the great King Ashkrah resided.

    Hermione watched them fade from sight then frowned at what she needed to do. She concentrated once more, calling upon the spirits of the rock and soil below her. This would end her life, but in the end, the worlds would be at peace again.

    Anna turned in time to hear a loud rumble emanating from down below and tears filled her eyes. The vast plains that were once spacious and thriving, rose to the sky as jagged, twisted columns of rock and earth. Nearby villages were destroyed, she could tell from the air, but sacrifices were already made in trying to start this process. Their elven companion Hermione, simply finished the job.

    Arius soared through the night while Anna wept. They were the last two. They had to carry on the Legacy of the Keys.

    Anna thumbed the marble that Hermione had given her.

    It was their responsibility.