Her terrified scream echoed through the forest, setting birds a flight, but had fallen to quiet whimpers by the time he reached the fringe of the small clearing where the young wood elf-maid sat on her knees, her eyes brimming with tears and her lips quivering in fear, surrounded by half a dozen heavily armed men, each baring a garish red plume in their helm; striped of her leather vest so they could gawk at her naked breasts. “You shouldn’t have trespassed on Hillsfar’s land,” the Red Plumes’ leader taunted. “Now you’ll serve us in the only way your kind is worthy to... and, if you please us well, we may just keep you alive... for a little while at least.” “These are elven lands,” she spat back, her voice still quivering with fear, but, to her credit, trying to put on a brave front. “They have been since before your kind set foot in this forest.” “Not anymore!” He snapped back as he glared with a mixture of open contempt and lustful glee at her half naked form. “Your kind abandoned them when they retreated from our presence. Clearly recognizing that a superior race had come to claim what is rightfully ours.” “That’s not what the Retreat was,” she growled, her anger overcoming her fear. “And my people didn’t join the Retreat... we are the rightful stewards of the Cormanthor!” “You are nothing but a slave to be used for our pleasure,” he roared as he slapped her across her face with enough force to send her sprawling onto the ground. “And you will learn you place!” “No... You will learn yours... Which is burning in whatever hell will have you!” Toran announced as he strode forward, extending his right fist and calling forth a devastating spell from the powerful magic ring on it. A bolt of lightning shot form his fist to strike the man directly in the midst of his heavily armored chest, then smaller arcs leapt outward from him to strike the remaining Red Plumes, as the terrified wood elf-maid coward with her hands over her head to protect her sensitive ears from the thunderous crack. Their leader fall in a smoldering heap with a decidedly satisfying thud, while the remaining men staggered back in searing agony, all having sustained grievous injury from the sudden, and wholly unexpected, attack. Stunned by the turn of events, their military training took over and they quickly regrouped, clumping together to present a unified front against their opponent, exactly as Toran wanted. Speaking a short incantation in Aragrakh, the archaic tongue of dragons used now only in the casting of arcane spells, a ball of blue white plasma shot from Toran’s outstretched hand, streaking into the midst of the armored men and exploding in a sphere of crackling electricity with a thundering boom... followed quickly by the clash of armored corpses hitting the ground. “It’s safe now,” Toran reported gently as he knelt before the cowering wood elf-maid, who cautiously peeked out from beneath the shelter of her arms to regard him with a combination of relief, awe and trepidation... knowing all too well that her savior could easily become an even greater threat in a mere heartbeat. But found her-self gazing into the face of a handsome half sun-elf, with a warm reassuring smile, his bright sapphire eyes lit with compassion and honest concern, and a distinctive mark on his forehead. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Additional Credits: From DAZ3D.com * Michael 4 by DAZ3D * Dauntless by Moyra * High Fantasy Props by DAZ Originals & 3D Universe * Jack of Hearts by Luthbel * Millennium Dragon 2.0 by DAZ Originals * Mystic Hallow by LaurieS * Rogue Brotherhood for Jack of Hearts by Arien * Steam Cowboy by DAZ Originals, Arien & Bobbie25 * Valiant form Michael 4 by Ravenhair