Deep in the elven forests, where their most sacred of villages lay, a scene of monsters toppling through the forest on their way to kill. Each of them seemingly empowered by the destructive might of the dragons in the sky.
Elven mages began chanting at once, while some of the less close-minded elves silently cursed the hubris of their own race for not heeding the warning sent from Orario via the gods' mirrors.
Gigantic defensive barriers arose creating a faint degree of confidence in their safety. However, this would soon be shown to be nothing more than the pathetic whims of a close-minded species. Why?
Because as if to spit them, one dragon, just one, grinned, and with a single stream of its breath… the barrier glimmered, cracked, and then shattered with an ear piercing and fear inducing sound.
"W-w-we we aren't safe."
"That's the strongest barrier!"
What came next was an odd twisted sound hailing from the sky. It was the insidious, menacing chuckle of the dragons as they tasted the fear, and palpable terror from among the food below. In other words, the elves were the ingredients, and the dragons were the chefs… And they were most definitely cooking.
Just as the spice of terror had finally reached its highest height, the dragons went on the move, it was dinner time for them.
However, in their most dire moment, a dark elven woman, and man appeared nearby, and proceed to dismantle the dragons in the air, and buff the elves on the ground.
"My name is Nernatti, the Dark Sand Girl! While my little brother is taking care of that other dragon, I won't be holding him back. I suggest you do the same." She said preparing to cast her mass spell once more.
"I am Malik, the Wind Slicer! While Origin Wolf is handling the one eyed black dragon, my magic will deal with these pests." He smirked.
As if responding to their decrees the sacred tree waved, summoning all the might it could muster, glowing with a brilliant, yet subdued light empowering all elves, as if there was a massive surge in their mind capacities, along with all of their other abilities. It almost felt like they'd all just gained a spirit contract.
"Laminous Torment."
With his spell cast, he rode the concentrated blades of wind as if they were foot holds for his own use. A technique he decided to try out many times after seeing Shurry's own ability that allowed him to walk everywhere.
The thunder of dragons responded to Malik with a maelstrom of a dogfight. One that would go down in history as a challenge of epic proportions. He was far from enough on his own, but with the buff from his woman, Nernatti, and the most sacred of trees, he was barely managing to hang on. In the meantime, the monsters on the ground below were challenged.
Specialized magic, only a small handful of elves knew of, and even less could properly perform, allowed an elf to assume the form of one of the many powerful creatures of nature. However, there were requirements.
First, they must be an elf significantly more in tune with nature… They live in the villages but never confine themselves from the elements with shelter, allowing nature to do that job, trusting in it completely.
Second, they must have the capacity to handle pain of the highest order. The kind of pain that would make even warriors shiver in terror just thinking of it.
Third, they must have a contract with one of the many forest spirits, the power of the spirit isn't really important, so much as the type. Gnomes would grant a stronger transformation like bears, Sylphs would grant a weaker yet more freeing transformation. Though it was indeed possible to choose what form to take, it was incredibly difficult to do so.
Fourth, they must have trained for it for 50 years, and also be 75 years old before they can even attempt it. This is due to the need to be fully developed in their own bodies before attempting the transformation, otherwise they might have complications when reverting to their original elven heritage.
These were the core of nature's finest, the elven druids. And they were the first ones out there ripping and tearing through the horde of monsters; goblins, and the like. With the powerful paws, and jaws of nature's strongest beasts at their hands they were the best defenders of their kin.
Following behind them were the knightly guards who protected the royal families. Their blades boosted with the aid of their temporary spirit contract allowed them to cleave through the monsters the druid core couldn't handle.
Immediately behind them were the mages, and everyday elves without much training in combat, if at all… yet they'd still taken up whatever weapon they felt a pull toward, they could. Creating a makeshift defensive line for anyone to fall back to, and behind for aid. It was all hands on deck after all.
About 5 minutes into the fighting, the druid core ran back to the village at a frantic speed, carrying any knights back that they could while the others returned on foot.
"What happened?" Asked one of the knights, finally getting a chance to ask.
"That ball! It's coming this way!"
"Ball? What ball?"
The ball in question was the entanglement of the one eye black dragon and Shurry. Both clawing, tearing and ripping each other apart. Each leaving splatterings of their blood, and chunks of flesh behind as they barreled on through, making cartographers cry realizing the extent of much the maps need to be redrawn after a single pass.
"Oh…" The knight uttered, collapsing to his knees breathing hard, and heavy breaths. A thing almost all elves either did, or felt like doing after having felt that kind of terrifying magic. "I see now… No wonder you said to leave the front… We would have died without even realizing it."
"Correct, I'm tired now… and this front should be fine now."
"Yeah, yeah, get some rest we'll need you again soon…"
It was that moment the elves realized that this wasn't a simple fight. It was a war that would dominate the surface… And though the scene they had here was special in some ways, the other elven villages had similar situations. Except, there was a weird phenomenon that happened when one bathed in the moonlight. Non-mortal wounds were healed within a second… World wide.
…