.·:·.? ?☆?Lei Pov?☆? ?.·:·.

  I shoot from my bed, my left hand abze with fire, lightning crackling around my right. Then I see the walls of the inn, my sister sleeping in the other bed. Already tired of my waking dreams. I still felt it, the fear of that night. Watching them take father, asking mother where we were. She said nothing, she told them nothing, as me and Nura hid beneath their feet. Our mother sending a worried gnce our way, our father beaten bloody. They may have used a sver tool to free mother of her colr. However, from their and her behaviour, our mother was anything but free.

  Then there was the svers, time and time again. Everytime our heritage was discovered, they would try.

  The elves wanted us that night, they wanted mum and dads knights. Dad always hid them in what he called a hide hole, he didn't trust anyone, so that was where we hid. Nura was quietly crying into my chest, she was only 12 winters old back then. To be fair I was only 13 winters old at the time.

  I was just a lot more like mother, Nura was emotional, like father.

  We had travelled the kingdom over trying to find a pce to call home, 3 winters we had searched. Just to lead us here, a back water vilge. In a dingy run down inn. Hiding their faces like criminals.

  A growl rose in my throat, a bad habbit for a woman. However I was an Elf, we were more like better versions of the men of other races according to my mother.

  In private though, I was somewhere in the middle, a bit of both, but neither at the same time.

  "By the goddess, I will not weep like a damn man!"

  I decided I was up. I had things to do, going through our supplies, taking inventory. Then I heard them. My spy charm left in the entrance to the inn, sending their words to my ears, as if I was next to them.

  [Two women, top floor. Beauties they are, pretty sure they are elves.]

  [Thanks, here's your payment.]

  [Thanks, great doing business with ya.]

  "Shit!"

  I kicked Nura.

  "Huh? What?"

  "Men are coming and I don't like their tone."

  She was up and dressed before I was, taking my hand we sunk into the shadows, I loosed a floating mana explosion trap spell, ready for when those fools opened the door. Then we were in the alleyway behind the inn. I was gd the sun wasn't at its peak, we would have been in a mess.

  "Left them a surprise in the room. Should dey them."

  Nura rolled her eyes.

  "Do you not know the meaning of stealth? Not broadcasting your skills?"

  I chose not to respond. As we ran, we didn't even get one street away before the inn blew up.

  "Really Lill? The whole damn inn?"

  "Bastard inn keep sold us out. He deserved it."

  I didn't mean to put that much power behind it. Then again, I was angry and rushed. I didn't feel guilty about it though. They ran through the night streets, occasionally travelling through shadows. Until they made it outside of town. An unfortunate limit of Nuras skill was she could only travel through connected shadows and darkness. Now they were outside the town the nturns that once broke the shadows up, were gone. They dropped into a shadow and returned to the forest where we had hidden BckKnight and Cyclops

  "You sure we are in the clear?"

  I look at my sister

  "I hope so Nene, I hope so. We weren't followed that is for sure though. No one knows we are commanders either."

  It was the reason I had Cyclops made more masculine, if I walked around with a knight that was obviously feminine, it was basically screaming, look I'm an Elf.

  "Run checks on Bck Knight, I need to do the same with Cyclops."

  "When mum finds out what you did to and renamed her knight, she will kill you."

  That was true. Cyclops, back when it was effeminate in design, was named Nahtar. That too was just broadcasting who we were.

  "I will take whatever beating she wants, she just has to come back to us."

  Nura smiles at me, then enters her knight.

  .·:·.? ?☆?Nura Pov?☆? ?.·:·.

  I colpsed back into Bck Knight. It was mine now. It was was more comfortable in here than in being outside and vulnerable. I grabbed the piece of paper hidden between the units, it was a portrait of a man. A wanderer who managed to impress the gods enough to return home. This man, his long brown hair, his blue eyes. He was tall and not too muscur. In the perfect sweet spot. The only bit of the name that was visible.

  "..er Rivers. You are the perfect man for me. Well, if your were younger anyway, wonder if you ever had a son?"

  I poked at the picture, until hearing Lei open her hatch. Stashing the picture between the two units and pretending to be checking the system. Lei poked her head into my hatch.

  "Ready?"

  I nod, running a quick check. We were getting ready to have work done. Just no one trustworthy enough to do it for us.

  "She is getting a bit bound in the left shoulder, could really use some work."

  Lei sighs, looking over at Cyclops.

  "Yeah Cyclops needs a bit of work too, that prototype engine is putting massive strain on her chassis."

  I see my sister go into her grumpy thinking face mode. Mum used to do the same. Dad would poke fun at Lei for it, mum would growl and the colr would glow. We knew mum hated dad, but she loved us with her everything.

  "I miss mum.."

  Leis eyes soften, hugging my neck. I hate how she got mums breasts and mine are so small. Well not small by human standards, but Leis were just like mums.

  "I miss her too, dad is likely gone. And thanks to elf society, we can never be with her."

  They sat there in silence, this happened often. Mum was our everything growing up. She taught us so many things, she taught me how to use daggers to make the most of my skill. She was an amazing woman, we just got separated too soon. One day maybe we could have her meet us again.

  We quickly wrapped up in the cave and started our journey. We were heading for a city, we would leave the nights somewhere safe and buy parts. Lei could used her magic to a degree to fit the parts, she has done it before.

  After a month, we arrived near the city. The forest is where we would hide our nights, there was a forest lords glen in the forest, near a water fall. Lei had made a cave behind that waterfall, she would close it up when we left. Even if anyone checked, they wouldn't find it. We waited for the forest lord to leave and stashed our knights. Then Lei closed the cave entrance.

  "Contact magic, neither I or you can tell anyone the location of our knights."

  "I agree."

  The weight settled on my shoulders, this was a multiyered contract magic. We did this at every location, it was a trick our mother taught us.

  Getting from the cave to the town, took three days of travel. We joked, reminisced and just talked about random things as we travelled. Using the shadows to move using my skill when we could.

  It was morning by the time they entered town. It was a town they used often to fix their knights, it was about a weeks travel from the nearest city, but that was by design.

  Once in town they split up. Lei working on getting parts for their knights, I would be buying supplies. I grabbed some fruit and dried meats. I decide to get a meat stick while I take a break. Just as I start to rex a shadow falls over my face.

  .·:·.?☆?Liáyra Irrint Tovoear Pov?☆?.·:·.

  She was sat in her office, a strong fortified wine swirled in the gss she held. She had taken to drinking after her return to her homend. Her rge manor, once full of lively women moving about, now was dark and silent. Nights filled her will longing and sadness for her daughters, she missed them terribly. She had not initially told the retrieval squad her sister the queen sent to rescue her, she had hidden them along with their father. She wanted him dead, she really did. However, memories of his smile as he hugged and pyed with their daughters. The overgrown musclebound moron, sat there with a crown of flowers, pretending to eat imaginary cakes and drink imaginary tea with her little angels. If he had just been an elf, and not as bulky she would have been happy. Even getting over being ensved due to a duel wager using contract magic. She would be lying if she said the man wasn't a good lover, still being bred by such a savage made her feel repulsion and bile rise in her throat.

  "Breathe Lia, breath. Think about the girls."

  She cast her mind back.

  ......

  "Mummy, is the baby coming?"

  Liára smiled and nodded.

  "Yes my little one, she is coming."

  Nathan scoffed.

  "Still say it will be a boy."

  Rage filled her.

  "WHO ASKED..GH..my womb doesn't carry weakness, so, no. It will be a girl."

  The pain inflicted by the sve colr forcing her to calm her response, her initial reaction being too filled with hatred.

  "I distinctly remember you losing to me."

  She scoffed, having to measure her response due to her sve colrs influence.

  "Barely and it was a cheap shot."

  Nathan shrugged.

  "Cheap, dirty, doesn't matter. Winning is winning. No tales are written of the hero who died in battle failing to save the world because he chose honor over victory."

  She wanted to punch him, she wanted to show him how weak he truly was, but the colr on her neck glowed. Preventing her from acting, if it wasn't for him being responsible for her Lei, and this new child she was currently pushing from her womb, he would hold no redeeming qualities. She still couldn't believe her daughters skills when she was checked at 1 winter old. Her daughter was a quick learner, already holding conversations at her age was rare. She felt another contraction hit and knew the time was near. She looked at Nathan, she hated the man, but she was also dependent on him. He just returned a gentle smile. Nathan stood up, handing the doll he hand carved to Lei.

  "I made you this princess, can you give your old doll to your sibling if they come before I get back?"

  Lei smiled and nodded, her face beamed in excitement and joy, jumping into his arms. Hugging him with all she had.

  "Yes daddy!"

  With a nod, he approached Liára. Kissing the top of her head.

  "I will go get Katherine, you just get comfortable and don't stress."

  Even if he was an asshole, she could tell the brute had genuine care for her. She didn't know how to feel about that, it gave her mixed feelings. Being protected & cared for, loved by a man. All against her will, sort of. She had agreed to the terms of the duel and her toes did curl, as her legs wrapped around his waist at night. He was good for that, at the very least.

  She didn't want anymore children though, so she had to make pns. She had orders to never take birth control, so she had just been teaching Lei about herbs, and she little darling had been pnting one that worked as birth control at the back of the garden. She would then teach her how to make it and drop hints that she couldn't take the medicine and didn't want more children. She could use the not knowing to prevent her from getting pregnant again. Technically it wasn't her taking birth control, she had no control of what her daughter did, technically.

  Another contraction shook Liára from her thoughts.

  "Lei sweetheart, can you go get the basin and fill it with water for mommy?"

  Her daughter beams a smile at her and runs to grab the basin, returning a few minutes ter with it full of cold water. Then plunges her hands into the water, an orange glow surrounding her little hands, the water starts to warm. As soon as Liára sees the steam, she calls to her little angel.

  "That's perfect baby, now can you go get the rags from the basement?"

  "Yes mommy."

  She couldn't help smile after her genius daughter. Her sister was a bit harsher with her neice Hena, but she could never be so ruthless with her daughter. Her sister had much higher obligations though, and Liára currently was just a house wife. Nathan never actually asked for anything beyond those obligations.

  It was another 30 minutes before the worst part of having a child began, Nathan arrived just before it began with the towns healer. The way the woman looked at and her body nguage, she was interested in Nathan. She would rather he get with her and let her go. However there was a pang of anger inside her, she would never allow that woman to take her daughters smile away, and no matter how much she didn't like it. Lei was a daddies girl, even just having his bck hair made her daughter happy. The way he saw his daughters, she knew he would never sell them as sves.

  After another hour, her newest child was born. A beautiful girl, there was differences though, silver blonde hair, red eyes, light caramel skin. She looked like a blend of her and Nathan in skin colour, her hair and eyes threw them both for a loop. However she knew it was Nathans child, and so did he.

  The years passed and Nura , her youngest daughter blossomed into a pyful and spirited little girl. Nathan was relieved to find out his aunt looked the spitting image of Nura as a little girl. His grandma visited and vished love on the little girls. Liára liked Nathan's mother and grandmother, they treat her like a wife and not a sve. They helped her so much during the first few months with Lei, now were helping with Nura. Nura had a rare skill, but Nathan and I kept it secret. Nathan took on her training, especially with the skill being very simir to the assassin Shadow.

  "Lei, sweetie?"

  A mini version of her ran into the room.

  "Yes mother?"

  Liára couldn't help smile at her loyal and respectful daughter, she was only 4 winters old and almost as mature as a human teenager.

  "Can you help grandma with the tea? Your father will be back today."

  A knowing look appears on her daughters face.

  "Yes mother."

  She quickly goes to help. Her little Nura was pying with her doll, Nathan pying with another one. Their little shadow stalker was absolutely adorable, a wanderer Nathan met in the war said she had albinism. Which was apparently just a ck of pigment, he guessed that her skill probably contributed to the tone she had, stopping her from being paler than her father.

  The years passed in a calm and serene bliss, my daughters continued to blossom and grow. Nura being an adept hunter and her training as an assassin was going well, even if she didn't want that for her daughter, it pyed into her skill. Lei on the other hand, was an elegant and headstrong woman in the making, her magic was on a completely different level. Able to freely use all the elements and manipute the world around her at will. No boy dared tease my little sorceress, she didn't seem particurly interested in the towns boys though, she preferenced smart and kind men. Preferably not too muscur, which with her being 10 winters old now, was a problem. The boys her age were already starting to get too muscur. Liára looked at Nathan, the men in his family weren't overly muscur. His father wasn't either, nor his grandfather. All on his fathers side. Nathans grandfather married into his grandmothers family, he had no retives. Nathans grandfather was a legendary man, a powerful sorcerer. Which was likely where Lei inherited her prowess from. His father and Nathan himself didn't have much talent for magic.

  Lei did, she was a prodigy. Liára couldn't wait to see what her daughter became.

  It was half way through the year, Nathan burst into the house.

  "Hide the girls."

  I shot up.

  "What? Why?"

  "No time, get them into the hide where we keep the knights!"

  I nod and quickly did so, pulling my girls into the basement and moving the sliding shelves.

  "Lei, my amazing daughter. Keep your sister safe, I need you to seal this shut with stone. Do you understand? Only drop it if I or daddy ask under our own will. Otherwise wait until everything is quiet."

  Lei, tears in her eyes. Nodded.

  "Yes mother."

  I gave my daughters a loving embrace and kiss, then pushed them into the hide hole with the knights. Sliding the shelf into pce and waited for the sound of the earth filling up the space behind. I quickly returned to Nathan.

  "Nathan?"

  "What are you doing? Go get with the girls."

  "Tell me what is happening!"

  He sighed, but didn't get the words out as the door exploded open a metalic fist where the door should have been, as it withdrew soldiers in uniforms she recognised poured in. Immediately restraining Nathan, and after finding the coin to my colr took a bridging tool, to remove my colr.

  "General Tovoear, we have finally found you. Is this the man who ensved you?"

  She nodded, then looked around.

  "Why are you here, after all these winters?"

  The woman before her smiled.

  "You think our queen would let her little sister, our best general, be taken by a human? Where are the children, we will take them into custody too."

  A shiver ran down my spine, I would not subject my daughters to what these people would do.

  "I don't know, they should be in bed. Unless they heard everything and ran away."

  The soldiers went to check.

  "No sign of them."

  They started searching the house, including the basement and thankfully didn't find them. She was then escorted back the the elven nation, returning to her position as general. A new knight, repcing her Nahtar.

  ...

  Waking from her memories, a tears running down her face. She downed the alcohol, then made her way to the west wing, it was completely cut off except for a single door. Connected to her bedroom. It was a recently compelted refurbishment, something she did to restrict access to Nathan. She strode into the living room, where Nathan was sat carving another doll.

  "Liára... any news?"

  She shook her head and the man she knew as the strongest man she ever fought, shed tears. She understood why, he had lost everything that night, just like she had. No matter where they looked they couldn't find their daughters.

  "Nathan, please. I need to forget for a few minutes."

  Liáras dress hit the floor, leaving her nude body on dispy. Nathan stood, pulling her into a passionate and longing kiss, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom, where for the next few hours, they took soce in each other. If Liára could admit it to herself, she knew already that she had fallen for this man. Her pride wouldn't let her admit it though, after 18 winters. He got his wish, she was his wife in all but an official capacity.

  As they lie there, taking soce in each others warmth, a woman burst into the room. It was Jora her second in command.

  "This better be good.."

  Jora nodded.

  "We found them, one of our informants in the kingdom, he told us of 2 half elf sisters being ensved in the kingdom, the descriptions match perfectly."

  Liáras eyes glowed with powerful magic, she may not be a sorceress like her daughter, but her mana capacity was through the roof.

  "Ready Maltamacia! Send the trackers! FIND MY DAUGHTERS! We make for the kingdom, the fool who dares to ensve my daughters, will suffer my wrath!"

  Liara had made many deals in preperation for this day, 4 winters without her daughters. This would not stand. She had made sure her daughters would be seen as her daughters, after all their skills alone made them extremely powerful, she had used her and her sisters influence to pull strings to have their heritage swept under the rug, upon their return they would be seen as Elves of pure heritage. Even if they wouldn't have been seen favourably, she would keep them safe in her mansion. She had a job to do and everything between her and her daughters would burn.

  Sion_Dracul