~~~ Homecoming ~~~

Rain battered the harsh and torn landscape that was once Treegum. Flashes of lightning followed by thunderous claps both lit and shook the dark and dreary war zone. The drow presence was heavy, the soggy streets constantly patrolled by mages, priestesses, assassins and the like. Bodies littered the ground, some half buried in the mud, others half eaten. The drow hadn't bothered to clean them up, opting to let them rot in the ominous darkness that loomed over the entire area.

From the south, a faint wisp of light crossed the bridge and soon disappeared behind Priest's import shop. Catching sight of the glimmer, a drow swordsman, militia by rank, broke off from his companions and followed around behind the building, sword drawn. As he rounded the corner, the light was suddenly surrounding him... or so it seemed for the brief second he remained alive. Pulling the shimmering blade from the drow's eye socket, the blade was spun around a few times, then sheathed on the hip of a golden statue. A living, breathing (so to speak) golden statue of a winged elf.

Sarah Kellei kicked the drow's sword up into her metal palm and peeked around the corner of the import shop. The other drow hadn't heard their companion fall and still stood talking, in front the courthouse. Three of them remained, conversing in the foul tongue of the dark elves. The mere sound of it made Sarah burn with rage.

Another flash of lightning lit the sky and as the air was sliced, booming a thunderous clap, the drow's sword struck the ground in the middle of the three men. After the reflexive flinch, they drew steel and charged off in the direction it came from. There they saw their fallen ally, his body still quivering from his swift death.

"Vel'bol?!" one of the men shouted as he knelt near the body. The other two turned their backs to the building wall, watching the darkness warily. "Uk zhah elghinyrr!" he cried, reaching for his blade as he went to stand. But suddenly a massive weight fell on top of him, crushing him into the muddy grass as another shimmering blade thrust through a second drow's back, piercing his heart. As he collapsed to the ground, the only remaining drow, though yet to identify his assailant, lunged blindly forward with his dagger. The sky was lit once more as Sarah flipped over the drow, slicing his neck open as she went. His death cry was lost in the ensuing thunder.

Keeping her momentum, the golden elf dashed forward, concealing herself behind the Silverymoon Clothier... or what was left of it. Delivered swift and silently, the death of the four drow went unnoticed. Peering back into the streets of Treegum, she realized that another assault, seeking the same results, would be impossible at best. A good sized unit of drow had just left the Black Orchid, lead by a priestess who's scornful expression was matched only by the tone of her voice as she barked orders to the 'males' in her group.

"Ragarrl I' che'el whol siltozen lu' elgg jalbol nindel mumbaron!!" She commanded. Sarah waited for the perfect opportunity, a blinding flash of lightning, to dash to the next building. Drow now thick as the pounding rain, she continued this technique as she made her way to the west side of the ruins, and her goal.

The drow presence thinned here. Perched atop her former dwelling, she watched as a few patrols passed through the area, each of them pausing just long enough to desecrate the rubble that was once a glorious tribute to her beloved God. The sight of this wrenched Sarah to her core and it was all she could do to contain herself long enough to wait for her moment. As the patrols passed through, one by one, the last did not move on. Consisting of a mage, two militia men, an assassin and an archer, they seemed content to hold their ground in front the temple rubble.

The mage traced a rune over the collapsed stone, in the form of a spider, cackling at her handiwork. The archer picked up a rock and casually approached Sarah's house with a devilish smirk on his face. "Vel'klar zhah dosst Champion nin, ultrine Yah d'lil Sssiks?" he said to her closed window as he drew back his arm to throw. But suddenly an intense burning pain struck his wrist. As he went to cry out, another pierced his neck and he fell limply to the ground. The assassin, whom had been watching, followed the trail of fiery arrows to the peak of the roof. There stood Sarah as a jolt of electricity struck some not-so-distant patch of earth behind her. Raising a hand to shield his eyes from the light, the avariel was gone in the mere fraction of a second it took him to recover.

"Il zhah ghil!!" he shouted to his companions, gathering the poison-tipped darts from his side. They spun around, drawing steel as the mage vanished into invisibility. "Lil Champion?? Vel'klar?!" one drow questioned as the Assassin slowly approached Sarah's house. "Phor ga--" the Assassin was interrupted by a short, painful yelp. A splash of blood colored the filthy grass, followed by a soft 'thud' and the imprint of a humanoid figure in the mud.

The three males turned to see Sarah charging straight for them. The assassin immediately slung darts at her, but they seemed to just bounce off. The other two swung high and low simultaneously. Sarah dove through the middle of both swings, tumbling on the ground and coming up in range to plunge her two golden blades through the Assassin's belly. He doubled over, exhaling his final breath. Two dark-skinned hands grasped Sarah's shoulders, but try as he might, the drow could not force the solid golden elf to her feet. In response, she clapped her massive metal wings onto him, forcing him back, disoriented. This left the second swordsman with a clear chance to attack and he seized his opportunity, abandoning his shield to bring his longsword up with two hands, striking Sarah fiercely across the neck. But his swing was unable to follow through. Embedded in the soft gold of her neck, he couldn't dislodge it.

Sarah, though unharmed, was shocked from the blow and tumbled backwards to the ground, forcing the drow and his sword down with her. The first drow had now recovered and upon seeing his companion's plight, grabbed his sword and raised it over his head with two hands. As he brought it down upon Sarah, her hands shot up to grasp the blade and pull it from the drow's grip. Without leaving him time to think, she spun the blade around and thrust it up through his groin, the tip of the blade resting firmly, somewhere in his rib cage.

As the skewered man quivered and fell over sideways, the only remaining drow abandoned the blade lodged in Sarah's metallic neck and ran off into the shadows. With a bit of prying, Sarah removed the sword, casting it aside as she rubbed the incision gingerly. A quick glance about left her free of any other drow... for the moment. The one who fled would soon be back, and with help.

Standing and slinging mud off her smooth golden wings, she turned to face the ruins of her God's great temple. She fell to her knees on the threshold of what was once the entry door and clasped her hands together in fervent prayer. For a moment, it seemed as though there was a calmness in Treegum again as she wept and worshiped the broken remains of His sanctuary... but her prayer soon came to an end.

She could feel them... the drow. Surrounding her. Just watching. Waiting. And so it was without the slightest change in her posture that she spoke out to the darkness creeping in on her.

"Destroyed is but a building." She began. A head priestess raised her gauntlet in the air, signaling the others present to stop. The drow that had fled was not among them, likely killed for his 'weakness'. Sarah paused a long moment before continuing, "The light of Ra'Ma dwells not here, but in me. As it does in all those who bow to Him." The silence filling the voids in between her speech was an eery calm that sent chills to the very soul.

Sarah stood very slowly, never turning from the ruins of the temple, "The light will return here." she continued, calmly. "And the drow will feel wrath for their transgressions." The dark clouds above the temple began to swirl, growing faintly brighter than the rest that blocked out the glorious sun. "No mercy was shown. And none shall be returned." With those final words spoken, the swirling clouds burst apart as a ray of golden sunlight shot through, striking the ruins of the temple. The light was so fiercely intense that the drow were forced to turn away, shielding their eyes.

When all faded, Sarah was gone. The drow priestess slowly approached the place where she stood, looking down to see a single, solid golden feather. She scowled, crushing the feather into the mud beneath her boot, "Tiu, lotha Champion. Dos orn tlu natha zhennu uil'mriz ulu Lolth!"

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