Inheritance Fanfic - The Precursor Elf

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Iro examined the soldiers around him. They were elves but they were not like him. Their skin was lighter and the held themselves with grace and precision.

Then he glanced at the tall woman who stood her ground a few feet away from Beo, the green dragon, and the Wraith in the tree. Keep the dragon out of my way, he told Beo.

"I only want the Wraith in the tree," he announced, "I have no quarrel with your people."

"You speak as if you are on elven," the woman commented.

"I know exactly what I am," Iro growled, "And it is not one of you."

"Why do you call this elf a...Wraith?"

Beo growled. Can you not sense the vicious intent coming of this creature?

"I'm afraid I cannot," the woman replied, not taking her eyes off Iro.

Iro smiled to himself, "Then would you allow me to show you?"

"And how would you do that?" one of the soldiers asked. With a nod from Iro, Beo threw the Wraith in front of Iro, who held his hand out and caused a tendril of darkness slam it to the ground. Before anyone could react, Iro pressed a glowing hand on the Wraith's face.

The fake Fa-Lin threw his head back and screamed in agony as its form dissolved away. The skin seemed to melt and drip to the ground in large blobs that hissed with steam once they hit the ground.

The form on the ground writhed and dissolved and morphed until a monster three-times the size of Fa-Lin lay on the ground. It had the torso of a muscular man with fingers tipped in jagged claws.

Its head was like a monstrous goat with huge horns sticking out of a thick man of black hair. Its legs were covered in a thick coat of brown hair, ending in cloven hooves. One of the legs was slick with blood from when Beo seized its leg in his jaws. There were gasps horror all around as the monster snatched a wicked axe from the ground.

Iro intercepted the strick aimed at one of the soldiers by grabbing the handle of the axe with his hand. Then he thrust his spear up through the Wraith's skull until the spearpoint protruded from the top, covered in scarlet blood.

Ripping the axe out of its limp hand, Iro retrieved his spear and cleaned it with a cloth that he kept in a pocket on his belt.

"Would you like to finish it now?" Iro casually asked Beo, who grinned wolfishly and he snapped the Heart Wraith up and proceeded to gulp it down. 

The elven woman stepped forward and did a strange gesture with her hands. Iro assumed it was a form of greeting so he took his helmet off as a show of goodwill.

"My name is Arya and I'm the Queen of Ellesméra." She paused as she looked him over, "You are not like us." It was a statement, not a question.

"I am not," Iro explained. "But if you would be so kind as to provide me with a map of any nearby settlements, elven or otherwise, I'd be willing to explain mine and Beo's purpose here."

Arya nodded once, "Follow me."