As it turned out, the city of Crolia was only several miles from the river. As they walked Castor looked around the forest. It was not nearly as grand as the forest of Valdraermisr. It had the glassy lakes and the glorious pines, but it lacked something. A joy. The birds cried somberly and the leaves were wet and droopy. The trees felt pressured like invisible snow lie heavy on their branches. Tenseness filled the air. Ilvnag stopped them. "We are approaching the city."

Castor looked around, but saw no city. "Where is it?"

"We disguise our dwelling places better than that of the forest elves." Theuses rolled his eyes, but Ilvnag just ignored him, walking to two trees that stood about seven feet from each other. Their roots mingled and wrapped making Castor wonder how they survived.

Ilvnag began chanting. "Sli gatesmear zer lihrem ov nifernate armay grafla." The air shimmered.

Trees seemed to appear suddenly out of nowhere. Trees Castor had already seen seemed to grow together into houses made in the exact same way as the forest elves. Between the two trees, two oak gates morphed out of the branches that had hung in their place. Elves appeared seeming out of the ground or trees. Trees crafted into towers stood tall. It was a fascinating sight.

"Come," Ilvnag said as he led them through the doors. The rest of the Night elf party followed. Leaves covered the ground and made crunching noises as they walked. As they entered the city three elves stopped them. The first and obviously the leader wore a leather breast-plate with leather greaves. In his hand he carried a spear made of a pale metal-looking substance. Like all the Night elves Castor had seen so far, he had long, black hair. The two behind him were tattooed in blue, black, and green swirls. Their heads were shaven, save a seven inch tall mohawk that stuck straight up in spiky quills. They were bare- chested and carried long swords made of the same material as their leader's spear. The leader approached Ilvnag.

"General, you are required to see the high elders immediately." He looked to forest elves and Castor distaste. "Your prisoners are also required to attend."

"Very well. We will be there." The warrior nodded and walked off with his two aids behind him. Castor leaned over to Ilvnag. "Who are those elves behind him?"

"Night elf shamans. They are marked by their tattoos and weapons. Come, we must go the Clearing."

Ilvnag led them through the mix of streets, houses, and trees. Night elves glanced fearfully at the forest elves and Castor before returning to their business. Warriors and shamans were much more frequent in the streets and trees then in Ilesmatr. Whenever the party passed they would loosen their weapons and glare. Ilvnag made no movement to stop them. After going through the numerous streets, they reached an area where the houses thinned and more and more frequently defense tower were seen in the trees. At last they came out into a cleared area of the forest.

No trees were visible in the area, yet the ground was littered with leaves. A dark greyish black slab of flat stone covered a round circular area about hundred feet. Four huge posts were at each direction: north, south, east, and west. In the center a pillar of swirling winds whipped around. Two hard winds came from opposite sides and swirled high up. A clap of lightening would flash through it before the right wind disappeared. A stone throne sat at the base of each of the wooden pillars. In each of them sat a shaman. At their sides cases of darts were slung.

"What are those winds?" Castor asked.

"They tell us the future, of sorts. As far as we can tell a force will come from the east will challenge a force from the west. For an unknown time the two forces will quarrel. Then, a strike from above will destroy the eastern force and the western force will be victorious. Never mind that, though. The elves you are about to meet are the most powerful Night elves of this era. If you value your life, you will show great respect to them." They walked toward the center of the circle where the wind had been the moment before. Ilvnag knelt toward the north lord. Castor wisely followed suit. The elves simply gritted their teeth and stood facing the north lord.

"General Ilvnag, you have returned." His voice was cold and harsh, but thin like an elf's.

"Yes my lord. As you can see, I have brought prisoners."

The north lord glared. "You were not assigned to free any prisoners. I recall only sending you to steal resources and weapons."

"Yes but-,"

"But nothing. You clearly disobeyed a direct order."

The lord sitting on the south throne interrupted. "My lord, he saw an opportunity and took it. You cannot blame him for taking this chance. Besides these particular prisoners could be of great value."

"I did not ask you for your opinion. The very fact we have them puts us in danger. Now they have seen are city and where it lies. They will never be able to leave for fear of its location spreading. They will be killed."

This is ridiculous, Castor thought. "If you don't let us go it won't matter if your city stays hidden. The forces of Bantu are freeing Morgorath from his chains as we speak." Theuses shot him a look to shut up but it was too late.

The North Lord snorted. "Morgorath? Really? Village folk use his name to scare their children asleep and merchants use his name as a curse, but in flesh and blood it is impossible for him to arise. Even if he did, which I highly doubt, he will not find us. We will be safe and leave the rest of the world to fight their own battles."

Ilvnag spoke up. "My lord, I have seen the mountain fortress with my own eyes. The Urki prepare for war. I have noticed changes in the winds," Castor assumed he meant the column of wind, "and I have seen the forces of the Empire being mustered. Something is happening. Perhaps the prophecy at long last."

The North Lord glared at him icily. "You will do good to braid your tongue next time, General. Your dreams cloud your judgment. As for the Urki preparing for war, they are a race of war. It is no threat to us. My scouts have reported battles in the west but a war rages between the elves and the Empire. It is no threat to us. Let Bantu come if he dare. I will sever his head with my own sword and his blood with run scarlet across my ground before I let him take me. As for these words of Morgorath, if you spread such tales in my lands I will personally kill each of you."

Theuses ignored the threat. "He won't have to take you, he will simply kill you. You have no idea the power the armies of the Empire possess. If they gain the Urki, along with the Argles, they will be nearly unstoppable. Prepare yourself and ready your armies or you will be killed."

"I have had enough of this!" the North Lord turned to two guards that sat in the shadows. "Take them away! I will speak with you later."

The four lords disappeared into swirling columns of wind. The two warriors stepped forward and grabbed Castor roughly. Other warriors grabbed the elves. Mumbling under their breaths, the Night elves bound their captives with magic and hauled them away. Their arms and fingers were thin, but their grips were like steel.

It was an only a short walk to a huge oak tree. Ancient roots crawled into a huge mound of mixed wood. The Night elves stepped forward and spoke to the roots. Two openings split from the roots revealing decent sized holes. The prisoners were tossed into them. In the first, Castor, Theuses, and L'arch. From the second they touched the ground the roots started closing around them and sealing the entrance. Moment later they were alone in the dark. Theuses muttered silently under his breath. A little flame cast light across the room. Castor quickly checked the walls. They were nearly solid wood.

"Can you burn through it?"

Theuses shook his head. "The Night elves are too smart for that. They will have charmed the wood to resist such spells. Even if I did there is a chance the tree would burn down on top of us."

"What about other spells?" L'arch asked.

"No direct spells can destroy these walls."

Castor slid down the wooden walls uncomfortably. "Then I guess we're stuck here."

Theuses nodded and extinguished his flame. Their prison went dark. How ironic, Castor thought, that they should be in two prisons in two days.

Hours passed wordlessly. Castor spent most of it in a fitful sleep. The walls were sloped and low, making it uncomfortable to lean against them. He could not imagine L'arch or Theuses sleeping any better. Finally, after what felt like days, the wooden walls began to split. Ilvnag's face appeared from the crack.

"Get up and come with me." They did. The sky was an orange blaze like the god of above had lit the sky with fire. Castor assumed it was early morning. The sun was just beginning to come over the horizon. Ilvnag was alone.

Castor waited for his eyes to adjust to the light. Before asking, "What are you doing?"

"The North lord, Adja, always allows prisoners to see the city before they are killed. I am to guide you." Suddenly Ilvnag's face put on a confused look.

"What is it?"

He shook his head. "Probably nothing. It's just he seemed unusually anxious for you to see it, the city that is. Anyway, come. I will show you the weapon forge first."

They walked in silence for a while until Castor heard the sound of water. The River Trethia. Elves all along its banks were putting water into jugs or buckets for the day. As they walked longer, Castor heard the faint sound of hammering. It grew steadily louder until they reached the forge. The building was made of a huge rock that had been hollowed out, like a cave. A water wheel spun next to it, constantly working the bellows that kept the flames steady. On two benches, elves hammered out on the strange substance Castor kept seeing in the use of Night elf weapons. It was a pale gold.

"What are they hammering? I keep seeing it, but have yet to learn what it is."

"Dragon bone. It is the strongest substance in Unisus and is sealed with magic properties making it good for casting spells. Before we came to this forest, it was a natural place of dragons. Once they were killed, died, or left this area many bones were discovered. We use these vast quantities in our weapons."

"Dragon bones? Are they not brittle and ruff?" Theuses asked grudgingly.

"Dragon bones are unlike other bones. However, there is some truth in what you say." Ilvnag nodded to one of the blacksmiths. He lifted the glowing object and doused it in the river. Steam curled off it in clouds, but when it cleared the elf was holding a three-foot long scythe. It was the same pail gold as before, but now it shown so gold that it almost radiated power. The elf swung it experimentally and threw it into a pile of other weapons. "You see, the River Trethia restores the lost powers of the object. It is no normal river, but one of magic."

Suddenly he tensed. "GET DOWN!" Castor ducked as a blue shield surrounded them. A blast of flame smashed against it, causing Ilvnag to flinch. A tiny object hurtled toward them. It seemed to glow with an inner light. After striking a nearby tree, light flew from it and blew down the wood around them. The blast blew them to the ground.

Ilvnag leaped up from the forest floor. "Are you alright?!"

Castor stumbled to his feet. "Yeah, yeah I think so. What the heck was that?"

Ilvnag shook his head. "I have no idea. No would dare fire a spell in this city."

"What about that projectile?"

Ilvnag walked over to the tree where the thing had embedded. The object was about three inches in length and half an inch in width. At its end a bronze point was fashioned. In its center, three stars made a triangle. Ilvnag pulled it from the tree with little difficulty. He almost dropped it in surprise. Castor ran to where he stood, along with Theuses, L'arch. "What is it?"

"It's a dart. One carried by the Night elf elders."

Theuses bent over to inspect it. "Are you sure?"

Ilvnag nodded. "You see these stars?" He pointed to the three stars in the center of the dart. "They form when the dart is cast. Fire spells are molded into the dart's tip and the stars appear."

"Could it be a fake?" L'arch asked.

"It's possible." Ilvnag placed his hand on the stars and mumbled something under his breath. He quickly pulled his hand away like he had touched hot coals. "No, it's genuine."

"Can you tell what elder it is from?" Castor asked.

"No, but I can narrow it down. This is a fire dart which means it is from either the North lord or the West lord. The South lord is master of storm and the East lord is master of darkness. Of those two, I would say the North lord, Adja, would be more likely. Still, it is difficult to see him doing such a thing."

L'arch shook her head. "Not really. He openly threatened to kill us. Plus, you said he wanted you to take us to look at the city. Probably so he could kill us."

"Still, I have trouble believing it," Ilvnag said reluctantly.

"Well I don't. Is there a way to prove it?"

"No. Not really. If you could prove to the rest of the elders that it was Adja who fired the shot then he would be executed. This dart will help condemn him, yet you have no solid proof. Are you even sure of this hypothesis? As I said, you have no solid proof."

"Ilvnag is right," Castor said. "We need something more if we are to make such an accusation."

Theuses lifted his chin defiantly. "Maybe so, but I believe whole heartedly that it was him. Night elves are murderous."

Ilvnag rolled his eyes. "What is your glitch? Night elves are the most powerful race in Unisus. You're just mad because we are stronger, regardless of the fact we are less-known."

Theuses's eyes almost glowed with an inner fire. "You know perfectly well my glitch. You and your filthy people started it! You think that just because you break every law in the book and give yourselves no limits you are stronger than us." Theuses spat. "You are outcasts and I will never, EVER, accept you into my realm for as long as I breathe!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Castor yelled. "You guys' races have had problems in the past, but can't you just fess up to the fact you both have made mistakes? Now let's move on. How can we at least figure out if it was Adja?"

Ilvnag glared at Theuses, who looked furious. "Fine. If we can get Adja to swear he will tell the truth on his life, we could then ask him if he did."

"Yeah right." Theuses grumbled. "Just because he swears on his life doesn't mean he will tell the truth. People lie...... Especially Night elves."

"Awww, lay off it. For your information, Forest elf, if he is on his elder throne, all oaths are held as spells. If he lies, he dies."

"It sounds good to me," L'arch said.

"Fine." Theuses consented.

A far away tree suddenly burst into flames. Castor spun around and drew his sword.

"There is no need for that, king Castor. That is simply our beacon. The prison you stayed in? It is also a beacon for our elders. The council is forming. We must hurry."

"Can you do that transportation spell?"

"No. Are boundaries are protected against that."

They ran through the city, weaving around houses and buildings until they reached the clearing. A crowd had appeared from the city and surrounded the thrones. Ilvnag, Castor, Theuses, and L'arch cut through the crowd. As Ilvnag walked onto the platform the North lord raised his eyebrows. "You are late General. I expected better from you."

Ilvnag bowed his head respectfully, but Castor could see he wanted to throttle Adja, whether he thought he was capable of murder or not. "I was showing the captives around the city as you commanded of me, oh great one."

The North lord lifted his chin to stare down at Ilvnag. "Is that so?"

"It is. However, as we were walking through the city, a strange thing occurred. We were attacked." A gasp went up from the crowd. "And, I have reason to believe it was by one of these four elders." Now murmuring broke out, but was silenced by the North lord's icy stare.

"You fool. You have no proof of this matter."

"In fact," Ilvnag said defiantly, "I do." He pulled out the dart they had found and lifted it high so all could see it. "Do you see the star? It is a common fire symbol and one branded into your elder darts. Only two of you could have fired such a spell. You, lord of the West. And you, lord of the North."

The West lord leaped to his feet. "NO. I can prove it wasn't me." He pulled a dart from his bag and held it high. On it were three tongues of flame.

The two other lords turned to the North lord. "Do you have such a dart?" the South lord asked.

Adja cursed under his breath, but pulled out one of his darts. It was an exact match. Again the crowd began their murmuring before Adja's voice stopped them. "This proves nothing. The dart is obviously a fake."

Ilvnag was already shaking his head. "I have checked the dart myself. It is genuine." Now it was the other elders who were murmuring.

"NO! NO! You stole that dart and planted it! You're trying to pin me for this dastardly act!"

The South lord looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Why would he do that? There is no reason to." Adja's face was clearly white, even from under his paint. "You however, openly threatened them." The elders nodded. "All things point to you, lord of the North."

"There is an easy way to figure it out. Oh North lord, swear on the throne you sit on that you did not do this thing. Swear it on your life," Ilvnag proposed.

The crowd was dead silent. Adja began to sputter insults. "You swine! You filthy little treasonous viper!! Death will be your reward for this!"

"So you refuse?" the South lord summed, rising to his feet.

"Of course I do!"

"Then you will be executed, for you refuse to defend your case in the one way that may save it." He gestured to the two guard warriors present. The first stepped forward and forced Adja to his knees. The second freed his sword and severed the North lord's head wordlessly.

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